93-year-old man wins big in the lottery after playing for decades

A man who has been playing the lottery for decades is now celebrating a massive win — and he plans to share the joy with those closest to him.

Thomas Gibson, a resident of Richmond Hill, Ontario, said that he has been buying tickets regularly for years.

“I’ve been a regular lottery player since the Wintario days,” said the 93-year-old. According to OLG PlaySmart, Wintario tickets were available for 15 years from 1975 to 1990.

Recently, Gibson bought a lottery ticket and asked his son to check the results.

“My son was checking my tickets for me and he came into the living room and said, ‘By the way, you just won a million bucks!'” he recalled.

Gibson said he was “so happy and excited” when he realized that he had won a Maxmillions prize worth $1 million in the September 27 Lotto Max draw.

Thomas Gibson/OLG

“It feels fantastic,” he said, while at the OLG Prize Centre to pick up his cheque. “I would dream about this moment every time I bought a ticket.”

The generous winner said that apart from paying his mortgage, he’ll be sharing his money with his caregivers. Although he’s now a million dollars richer, Gibson said he’s going to take some time to decide what to do with his winnings.

The winning ticket was purchased at Petro Canada on Yonge in Richmond Hill.