Woman joked about needing a receipt in case she won the lottery, and she did

Some people just don’t want the hassle of dealing with receipts when paying for something. But one Ontario woman decided she might need it after buying a lottery ticket just in case she got lucky.

Elmira Moradi of Richmond Hill has been playing the lottery regularly for 38 years. One day, while at a convenience store, she decided to buy an Instant Stacks ticket for $10.

“When I bought my ticket, I asked the store clerk for a receipt and joked with him that I would need it to claim my big prize,” she said. “Turns out I was right.”

Instant Stacks/OLG

While at the store, Moradi played her ticket and noticed that she had matched all the numbers — she had won the game’s top prize of $250,000.

“I thought it was a mistake,” she said. “I gave the ticket back to the store clerk and said ‘I won big!’ He was so happy and excited for me.”

Moradi has a lot to look forward to: not only is she a quarter of a million dollars richer but she’s also expecting her first grandchild.

Elmira Moradi/OLG

She said that the money will help improve life for herself and her loved ones.

“I want to help my husband retire so that we can spend more time together,” said Moradi, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up her cheque. “I want to travel and share this win with my children.”

She added the experience has been like living a dream.

“This is one of the great days in my life that I’ll never forget,” she said.

The winning ticket was purchased at J&J Variety on Levendale Road in Richmond Hill.