"It had to be more than $50": Miserable day results in million-dollar win for lottery player
After a day filled with a series of unfortunate events, one Canadian lottery player’s luck finally turned, resulting in a life-changing win.
Marcel Charette headed to the convenience store after running out of milk. However, an ordinary day was about to become a memorable one. After returning to his car, he accidentally broke his key after inserting it into the door lock. As a result, he had no choice but to walk back home in the pouring rain.
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
Drenched, the Montérégie, Quebec resident returned to the store with his extra car keys. While at the convenience store, he decided to commemorate his day of misery by buying a Lotto 6/49 ticket — he even put an asterisk on it so he would remember.
Charette went to the store to check the results several days after the draw.
“When I had the ticket checked, I gave my ticket to the cashier,” he recalled. “And then she checked it. She froze like that. I said to myself, “Well, that’s more than $50 now.”
And he was right.
Marcel Charette (Loto-Québec)
Charette purchased a ticket for the Lotto 6/49 August 31 draw and won the $1 million White Ball prize. He said he realized it was “serious business” when he saw all the extra zeros.
While at the prize centre to pick up his cheque, he shared his plans for his windfall.
“With a million, the first project is to buy a house,” he said.
Charette said his lucky break inspired his real estate agent to buy a lottery ticket for the first time.
“It shows anyone can win,” he said.
The winning ticket was purchased at the Dépanneur Ste-Rosalie in Saint-Hyacinthe. The retailer will receive a 1% commission of $10,000.
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, you can find resources here.