"I was pretty shaken": Electrician wins lottery by playing family's birthdays

One lottery player has a sweet and simple strategy: he plays the numbers of family birthdays. And it looks like it was a winning strategy, too.

Lorne Wise is an electrician from Orangeville, Ontario, who said that he plays a combination of his family’s birthdays every time he plays the lottery.

“I’ve been playing these numbers for two years,” he said.

In December, he purchased a $3 Lotto 6/49 ticket from Daisy Mart on Alder Street. When he went to the store to scan his ticket, he couldn’t believe all the numbers that came up.

“I checked my ticket at the store and this monstrous prize number came up,” said Wise. “I was pretty shaken!”

Lorne Wise/OLG

It turns out that he had played his lucky numbers because he had won the Lotto 6/49 second prize worth $66,997 in the December 24, 2022 draw. On top of that, Wise also won $1,099.10 on his other Lotto 6/49 selection, which means that he gets to go home with a cheque for a total of $68,096.90.

Wise said that he shared the news with his children and that they’re happy for him.

“It’s just awesome,” he said, while at the OLG Prize Centre to pick up his winnings. “I’ve been working all my life and I feel so grateful.”

As for what he plans to do with the extra $68,096.90 in his bank account, Wise will be putting it towards retirement.

“I feel so lucky,” he said.