For one lottery buyer, the jackpot became even more special after he found out he'd won the six-figure prize on his birthday.
Toronto resident Michel Martinez Bedevere works in construction and occasionally buys instant lottery tickets. One day, he bought a Big Spin, a $5 instant scratch-and-win ticket that gives the winner a chance to spin the Big Spin wheel in person.
“I took my ticket back to the store and the lottery machine shut down,” Bedevere recalled. “I was in shock and frozen! I had no idea what was going on. My friend who was with me was in shock as well.”
The Big Spin Wheel at the OLG Awards Centre (Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive)
Not only did he win the minimum prize of $100,000, but he also won the chance to spin the Big Spin Wheel in addition to the cash prize. When the day finally came to spin the wheel at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, Bedevere recalls feeling nervous and excited.
“I was so happy when I found out the minimum prize was $100,000, so when I got to $225,000 I was thrilled,” he recalled. “When I first took my ticket into the store I was hoping for a $10 prize, and now I can't believe I'm going home with $225,000. I'm so happy and grateful.”
The lucky winner said he already knows what he'll do with the money.
“This win is thanks to my family, especially my wife and my father,” Bedevere said. “I plan to surprise my dad with the news when I visit him.”
“I've never received an award like this before. It's unbelievable.”
Michelle Martinez Bedevere (OLG)
The winning ticket was purchased at Lava Harrison Gardens on Harrison Garden Boulevard in North York.
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