Christopher Baker’s lottery win is a great reminder to always check your tickets.
The designer from Scarborough, Ontario, recently hit the jackpot with a huge $2.5 million prize, but he didn’t find out about it until weeks after the draw.
In a news release, Baker said he was at home when he remembered he “had a little stack of tickets [he] had yet to check.”
He scanned the tickets on his OLG app and reached the last one — a Lotto 6/49 ticket from June.
When he rang that one through, the words “Big Winner” appeared on his screen, leaving Baker to wonder how much he had won.
“I saw the prize amount and couldn’t process all the zeros!” he explained.
Baker’s prize left him in disbelief. “I took a screenshot and counted all the zeros. I checked the winning numbers on OLG.ca and compared my ticket,” he recalled.
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As he continued to switch between his screenshot and the winning numbers, his “heart was pounding.”
“…The more I checked the details, the more elated I felt,” he said.
Baker explained that he never thought he would win such a big amount and says the experience has been “special and kind of crazy.”
The lucky lottery player says he still needs time to figure out what he plans to do with the jackpot.
“I haven’t been able to think about what to do with my winnings because it hasn’t felt real until now,” he said.
Baker added that he’d like to invest in his future and his kids and celebrate by going on a trip.
His winning ticket, one of two that shared the $5 million jackpot, was purchased at Pik-Kwik Convenience on Kingston Road in Scarborough.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, you can find resources here.