A trip to the gas station has turned out to be very profitable for a Battersea man and his family.
John Wilson won $12.5 million on the Lotto Max ticket he picked up while filling up the tank last month.
“I always pick up a ticket while getting gas. This is my first big win,” Wilson said in a OLG press release Monday.
Wilson, a weekly lottery ticket buyer for eight years, says he couldn’t believe it when his wife checked his ticket through the OLG app.
The email you need for the day’s
top news stories from Canada and around the world.
“She showed me the Big Winner screen and asked if that said $12.5 thousand. I said, ‘No, I think there are a few more zeros,’” he recalled.
“I was so shocked. We hugged and celebrated — I just kept wondering if it was real!”
Wilson’s winning ticket was purchased at Kingston Truck Stop on Highway 15 in Kingston.
Now that he’s picked up his cheque from the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, Wilson says he’ll take a little time to figure out his next steps.
“I will set up an education fund for my kids. This win is my chance to enjoy time with my family,” he said. “We are excited for the future and possibilities that come along with this win.
“This means so much to me in terms of what I can provide for my children. I will be forever thankful.”
© 2024 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.