“I played my ticket on Christmas Day": Lottery player shares how he won $50,000
Winning a major lottery prize was a Christmas miracle for one resident of Woodstock, Ontario.
James (Jim) Longo has regularly played the lottery “since it started” and enjoys games like Plinko and Bingo Doubler.
After the father and grandfather got his first big win — a whopping $50,000 — playing Instant Bingo Doubler, he visited OLG’s Prize Centre in Toronto to share his story and pick up his windfall.
“I played my ticket on Christmas Day and scanned it using the OLG app. I couldn’t see the screen clearly and hollered for my wife to come see,” Longo said. “She said it was a $50,000 win. I went straight to the store to verify the ticket.”
The winner was shaken to his core and felt numb while attempting to process the win in the store.
“I do most of my lottery business in that store. It was nice to win on a ticket from that store. It was a very peaceful experience,” he shared, smiling. The lottery winner had bought his lucky ticket at a Shell store in his city.
Telling his family about the win was one of the highlights of Longo’s experience; now, he’s looking to celebrate with them.
“They were so happy for me,” he said. “I’d love to plan a trip for my wife and me to enjoy together.”
After the trip and some bills are sorted out, Longo will make further plans about what to do with the rest of his prize money.
Trips like the one Longo and his wife hope to embark on seem to be a common thread among lottery winners. Many recent lottery winners have also invested their prizes into buying their first home.
But there are also some off-the-beaten-path winners: Carol Turner, a grandmother from Ontario, won $50,000 and wants to use it to pay for her granddaughter’s wedding.
Lucky grandkid! We’re guessing the real prize was having Turner as her grandma all along.