Lotto winner ready to escape to great outdoors after hitting huge jackpot

A visit to an old neighbourhood haunt has paid off with a life-changing win for a Canadian lotto player.

Ryan Naus of Victoria, BC, was waiting for a friend at Craigflower Foods when he decided on a whim to buy a Set for Life Scratch & Win ticket. It turned out to be the right call, as the ticket ended up landing him the game’s top prize of $675,000.

Naus immediately picked up the phone to call a dear friend to share the good news.

Ryan Naus/BCLC

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“I had too many people that I appreciate and have helped me out, but [my good friend] Trish was the first person I called,” shared Naus. “She said, ‘No way!'”

Naus checked his ticket using a self-scanner at the same grocery store on Craigflower Road where he bought his ticket.

The Victoria resident added that he plans to explore Canada’s mountain and beach landscapes by van, and that he will help his family and those around him “to enjoy the win together.”

And when asked how he felt about his big lotto win, Naus just had one word to share: “Unbelievable.”