Struggling Canadian lottery retailer buys a ticket and wins $250,000

A Canadian business owner and lottery retailer is looking forward to a debt-free future after a major win.

Two years ago, John Cook and his wife purchased two businesses in Little Dover, a rural hamlet in Nova Scotia. One of the businesses is an Atlantic Lottery retailer.

“When we bought the businesses, we poured everything we had into them,” he said. “We don’t own the businesses — the businesses own us.”

One day, Cook purchased a Mega 360, a $5 lottery ticket that gives players a chance to win the opportunity to spin an animated wheel to reveal their prize.

“When I won the spin on the ticket, I was watching the wheel on the screen, and it came up, ‘Mega 360,’ and I started shaking,” he said. “We were pretty near shook for two days.”

However, unlike most lottery players, he knew that the process would be a little different for retailers who win the lottery.

“As a retailer, I knew we were allowed to buy tickets, but I called my sales rep from Atlantic Lottery to ask him what to do, and he walked me through the process,” Cook stated.

The win meant that Cook would have to visit the Atlantic Lottery’s head office in Moncton, N.B., to spin the Mega 360 wheel. Prizes on the wheel range from $100,000 to $500,000, guaranteeing that anyone who spins the wheel will take home at least a $100,000 prize. After spinning the wheel, Cook managed to score a $250,000 prize.

Atlantic Lottery

Atlantic Lottery states that it has controls and protections in place to make sure that lottery players have an equal chance of winning, including retailers and related parties. For Scratch’N Win tickets, a related party win of $10,000 or greater is subject to a 30-day wait period following an investigation, which applied to Cook as the owner of an Atlantic Lottery retail location.

“We have been putting every cent we made in the stores right back into them because there are upgrades we want to do, so now we’ll be able to pay off our debt,” he shared.

The couple also plans to use the money to take a family vacation, undertake some home renovations, and save money for their son’s education.

Cook said he’s grateful for the support from their friends and neighbours. During his free time, he volunteers and serves as the assistant deputy of the local volunteer fire department.

“We do what we can to help others, that’s just who we are,” Cook said. “It makes us feel really good to know the community is behind us.”

All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, check out these resources.