A Canadian man who won the lottery said he hopes his good fortune will lead to a second and even bigger win.
Muharrem Gashi is a retired professor living in Mississauga, Ontario. For the past 20 years, he’s played various lottery games, such as Lotto Max, 6/49, and several Instant games. While searching his pockets, he found a $50 bill and little did he know that his day was about to get even better.
Gashi took a chance and spent the money on an Instant Mega ticket, which costs $50 per play. The game offers a 1-in-3.15 chance of winning; the top prize is $5 million.
While playing his ticket, Gashi saw that he had won a prize.
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“When I played my ticket, I thought I had won my $50 back. I didn’t have my glasses on at the time,” the winner chuckled. “When I saw the extra zeros, I thought, ‘OMG!’ I was so shocked!”
However, upon closer inspection, he realized he had won a $50,000 prize.
“I knew I needed to hand my ticket to the store clerk for validation, but I didn’t want to let it out of my hands,” Gashi said with a laugh. “I was so happy that I tipped all the clerks in the store as a thank you. I even called my son and asked him to meet me at the store so he could share in the joyful moment.”
He said he’s hoping this won’t be his only visit to the OLG Prize Centre.
“The staff here have been kind and wonderful every step of the way,” he said. “I feel great, and I’m glad to go home with this prize, but I can’t wait to come back to collect a jackpot so I can share with all the people I love. This win was practice for my next big win.”
Lottery winner Muharrem Gashi (OLG)
Gashi is planning a European vacation with his wife, but he’ll be setting aside some of his winnings for the future.
“This win will help me to enjoy my retirement years in comfort,” he said.
The winning ticket was purchased at Shell on Erin Mills Parkway in Mississauga.
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.