30-year-old Canadian uses small lottery prize to get an even bigger win

An Ontario man definitely had luck on his side after one lottery prize brought him another bigger win.

Kanata resident William Jorgenson is celebrating after a Wintario50 prize worth $50,000 in the Aug. 14 draw.

The trades worker said he’s an occasional player with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation.

“I received a lottery ticket as a gift from my grandma and won a small amount, so I put those winnings toward this ticket and won big,” he shared while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his windfall.

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The 30-year-old said he wrote a reminder on his calendar to check his ticket.

“I checked it on OLG.ca and discovered I was a big winner. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing!” he recalled. “It didn’t feel real. I had to check it about five or six times and was half convinced there had been a mistake!”

Jorgenson is grateful for the big lottery prize.

“I never imagined something like this happening to me. I feel great! I’ll put this win toward my education and then make some fun decisions. A family trip might be in our future,” he said.

Jorgenson bought his winning lottery ticket at Pharmasave on Kakulu Road in Kanata.

He’s not the first lottery player to turn a small prize into a bigger win.

Kitchener resident Marco Perez matched the last six of seven Encore numbers in exact order in the May 27 Lotto Max draw to win $100,000.

The landscaper has been playing with the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation for 10 years. His go-to games are Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49. He usually plays twice a week, making sure to add Encore to his lottery tickets and using OLG’s Quick Pick feature to choose his numbers.

This routine has finally paid off for Perez, nabbing him his first major win.

“I had a $20 winning ticket, so I decided to cash it in and purchase some new ones — including this Lotto Max with Encore,” Perez recalled, while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his winnings.

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.