"I was thrilled": Man wins lottery after playing once a week for 25 years

One lottery player has finally won big after trying his luck for over two decades.

Sixty-eight-year-old Morris Zakamarko, a resident of Waterford, Ontario, said that he’s been playing the lottery once a week for the past 25 years.

“I always choose Quick Picks,” said Zakamarko, now retired.

He recalls the Sunday morning when he learned that he had won.

“I went out to grab a coffee and a printout of the winning numbers,” he said. “I handed the slip to my wife to check while I went out.”

When he returned, his wife had some news.

“When I got home, she stared at me and said, ‘You have to check this,’” he said. “And to my surprise, I saw I was a winner! I was thrilled!”

Zakamarko had won the second prize in the August 20 Lotto 6/49 draw. The total prize: $205,709.40.

Morris Zakamarko/OLG

While at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his cheque, he said that the win “feels like a kind of joy words can’t describe.”

He said he’ll put his winnings towards home renovations and is considering purchasing a new car.

Zakamarko’s winning ticket was purchased at BB Family Convenience on Old Highway 24 in Waterford.