Kyle Murray had by no means purchased a lottery ticket in Canada earlier than.
Despite dwelling within the nation for a number of years, the 39-year-old United States native determined the Aug. 20 Lotto Max draw can be his first after his spouse, who simply delivered their new child, requested he achieve this.
Jennifer Stuart-Flynn, 33, and Murray had simply returned residence to Iroquois Falls, Ont., from a Toronto hospital the place Stuart-Flynn had delivered their child after a high-risk being pregnant.
Murray was ready on the Timmins airport to select up his mom, who was coming to assist with the new child, when Stuart-Flynn texted him, asking him to purchase a Lotto Max ticket after seeing on social media the jackpot was at $70 million.
Murray went to an Esso on Algonquin Boulevard in Timmins, requested the retailer for some assist and acquired his very first Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 Quick Pick tickets with Encore.
When he bought residence, he put the tickets on the fridge as a reminder. Shortly after the draw, Stuart-Flynn heard the jackpot-winning ticket was bought of their space, so she scanned them on her telephone whereas having cereal on the kitchen desk.
“I scanned the ticket on the OLG app and heard the ‘Winner/Gagnant’ win tone,” she stated in an OLG information launch Monday.
“I used to be in shock and never processing what was occurring, so I shut down the OLG App and reopened it. I checked the ticket once more and heard the identical factor. That’s after I referred to as out to Kyle!”
‘I felt light-headed’
Murray, who’s within the monetary know-how trade and works from residence, stated he was tied up with work when he heard his spouse name for him.
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“I checked out her telephone and browse ‘$70 million winner,’ however I used to be making an attempt to determine if it was displaying the utmost prize or if we really received $70 million,” he stated.
“I felt light-headed and that sensation ran by means of my complete physique!”
The first individual to listen to the information was Murray’s mother. She couldn’t imagine what was occurring, and the couple determined to take her and their youngsters for a secret celebration at an area restaurant.
“We needed to shout the information, however we knew that in our small city, the sort of information would journey very quick. We needed to be cautious to not spill the beans all through all the dinner,” Stuart-Flynn stated.
Whenever Stuart-Flynn dreamed about profitable the lottery, she at all times stated she would purchase her sister a brand new home, and now that’s on the high of her to-do listing.
Next, the couple wish to make sure that their youngsters have an excellent life, in order that they plan to make a particular buy.
“We wish to purchase some land to arrange somewhat farm with chickens and a highland cow. We hope will probably be a spot the place the youngsters can have enjoyable and can wish to return to as they become older,” Murray stated.
“We wouldn’t need anybody else by our facet throughout this wild and surprising expertise.”
Next Lotto Max jackpot hits $80M
Murray and Stuart-Flynn’s Lotto Max jackpot win is the sixth jackpot win in a row in Ontario this 12 months, the OLG stated.
The provincial lottery gaming company hopes that streak continues on Tuesday with the Lotto Max jackpot at $80 million – the primary time ever in its historical past.
Nobody received the $75 million grand prize on Friday, paving the way in which for Tuesday’s complete.
When Lotto Max was first launched in 2009, a lottery sport that provided a number of $50 million jackpots a 12 months was unprecedented. Then in 2015, the jackpot cap elevated to $60 million, after which to $70 million in 2019. This 12 months, the principle cap elevated to $80 million.
Lotto Max is drawn each Tuesday and Friday.
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