Brampton, Ontario couple Jack and Zofia C. won $1 million after a 2 a.m. ticket check woke the family. They plan to pay bills, invest and travel.
A Friday ticket purchase turned into a $1 million surprise for a Brampton, Ontario couple, after Jack C. discovered the winning ticket during a 2 a.m. wake-up and quickly woke his wife to share the news.
Jack and his wife, Zofia, have been playing lottery games together for 11 years, with their Friday ticket purchases becoming a regular tradition. They play a mix of games, including LOTTO MAX, LOTTO 6/49, LOTTARIO and various INSTANT tickets.
For Jack, the excitement of playing goes back even further. In 1986, he won a vehicle through a WINTARIO promotion.
The couple had only been playing INSTANT IN THE MONEY MULTIPLIER for a couple of months when their routine took an unexpected turn.
It was around 2 a.m. when Jack woke up to get some water. He noticed the ticket lying nearby and decided to play it. He then scanned the ticket using the OLG app on his phone.
Jack said he had to count the zeroes several times to make sure he was reading the prize amount correctly. Once he realised the ticket was worth $1 million, he ran upstairs to wake Zofia, who had been asleep.
“I think we just won $1 million!” he told her.
Zofia checked the ticket and burst into joyful tears. Their son was soon awake because of the noise, and after being told about the win, he also scanned the ticket on his phone to make sure it was real.
The family stayed up until morning, overwhelmed by the excitement of the unexpected news.
The couple later described the feeling of winning as having a weight lifted from them, calling it a freeing feeling. Zofia, who describes herself as a chocolate lover, compared the experience to having “a ton of chocolate cake.”
Jack and Zofia, who collected their prize at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, said they plan to use the money to pay off bills, invest and enjoy some travel.
The winning ticket was purchased at North Park Variety Store on Torbram Road in Brampton.
The couple’s $1 million prize came from INSTANT IN THE MONEY MULTIPLIER, Game #2207.
