Canadian lottery winner has some practical ideas for $1 million prize

Lottery players in Alberta have been walking away with some serious cash lately, and one recent winner already has some practical plans for his big prize.

Edmonton’s Mohamed Nimji got a million-dollar surprise while checking his lottery tickets on the Lotto Spot app.

Nimji won $1 million in the Aug. 18 Lotto Max draw after purchasing his winning ticket through the app. He discovered the win when he opened it up to buy a ticket for the next draw and noticed a notification about unchecked tickets.

“I went into the app to buy my ticket for that night’s Lotto Max draw,” he explained. “[The app] was telling me that I had several unchecked tickets, so I went to go look, and I saw the winner.”

Even after seeing the winning ticket, Nimji didn’t believe it was real.

“I had to go back and forth with another winning ticket to confirm it was actually a winner,” he laughed. “I was in disbelief!”

Now, Nimji has a couple of plans for his new fortune: putting money away for the future and travelling.

“Retirement fund and a trip next year to Africa,” he said. “I was born there.”

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.