Canadian’s winning Lotto Max ticket had been sitting in his car for a month
A Canadian lottery player was unaware that he had been holding on to a winning Lotto Max ticket for several weeks.
Andy Singh, 49, is a regular lottery player who lives in Inverary, Ont. He said he has been buying tickets every week for the past 25 years, playing a variety of games, including Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49, Lottario, and Powerbucks Wheel of Fortune Ruby Riches. And when he does play the lottery, Singh said that he opts for the Quick Pick feature to choose his numbers.
“I went to the gas station to pump gas and purchased a ticket while I was there,” recalled Singh. “That’s become a routine for me — buying a ticket when I go for gas.”
However, the draw came and went, and his ticket remained in his car until he had a whole pile of tickets. It wasn’t until about a month later that Singh decided to take his stack of tickets to the store to have them validated.
“I went to the ticket checker and scanned them one by one,” said Singh. “When I scanned this one and saw the prize amount on the screen, I was in disbelief! I was so shocked and excited.”
He discovered that he had matched six of the seven Encore numbers, scoring a $100,000 prize in the Lotto Max draw on April 8.
Winner Andy Singh (OLG)
Singh had an unusual way of sharing the news with his wife — he placed his winning ticket on the kitchen island.
“My wife had just cleaned the counter and moved it, saying, ‘Why are you keeping it there? I just cleaned it!'” he recalled. “Just then, I flipped the ticket over to reveal the validation slip confirming I had won. She was very happy and a bit stunned.”
The couple had managed to keep the news to themselves until Singh came forward to claim his winnings.
“We haven’t told anyone else about this win until today,” he stated, while at the OLG Prize Centre to pick up his $100,000 cheque.
He said that he’ll use his winnings to pay off bills and go on a well-deserved vacation. And he also plans to buy his wife a special gift.
“Being a winner feels unbelievable,” he beamed. “You feel like jumping from all the excitement!”
The winning ticket was purchased at Nations Finest Convenience/Esso on Old Highway 2 in Shannonville.
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.