An occasional lottery player from Oshawa, Ontario, hit his first major jackpot.
Aaron Westerink won the $100,000 top prize playing the Instant Jaws scratch ticket.
The distribution services worker doesn’t play the lottery regularly, unlike his wife, who plays daily.
OLG
She was heading to the store to purchase her tickets when Westerink handed her an additional $5 to pick one up for him.
Little did he know that this spur-of-the-moment decision would lead to his first big win.
“I was working from home when my wife returned with the tickets. We went to the back patio to play them,” recalled Westerink while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his winnings.
“When we scanned our tickets on the OLG app, we saw the prize amount and couldn’t believe what we were seeing!”
He said he scanned the lottery ticket three or four times to be sure it was real.
“It was a beautiful moment filled with hugs and a few tears!” said Westerink.
He plans to use the windfall responsibly, paying some bills and investing. His children, on the other hand, have ideas of their own.
“They heard our excitement and have already [been planning] their Christmas lists,” Westerink laughed.
The Ontario resident’s winning ticket was purchased at Niruthija Grocery on Hortop Street in Oshawa.
If you’re an infrequent lottery player like Westerink, you might want to consider buying a ticket for tonight’s Lotto Max draw.
The jackpot is now at a whopping $70 million, with an additional 37 Maxmillions to be won.
“That’s an incredible $107 million in top prizing available for the next draw!” reads an OLG news release.
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.