This week, Canada was introduced to the other winner of the CA$70-million jackpot in Lotto Max from early June. The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation presented Jay Jayasinghe as the other winner, who now claimed half of the mega jackpot. The other half of the lottery windfall was claimed by a British Columbian who already cashed it out.
Lotto Max is a massive hit among Canadian lottery players, due to its immense jackpot and second-prize winning potential. It is drawn twice every week, once on Tuesday and once on Friday. Its jackpot can reach a whopping CA$70,000,000, and once the main prize reaches CA$50 million, it also offers several Maxmillions up for grabs.
’It Didn’t Feel Real’ Says Winner
Mr. Jayasinghe recently received the cheque for hits CA$35 million windfall and said the win did not feel real at first. He revealed he has been a regular lottery player since moving to the country. The Windsor man said he always hoped his luck would come, and it did in the June 6 draw of the nationwide game.
After hearing that a Windsor local has won the payout he and his wife thought that the winner could be him, but they did not actually expect and forgot about it. However, later he went to Mac’s convenience store on Tecumseh Road to check his ticket and scanned it numerous times and counted the zeroes. Since in his words, it did not feel real.
Currently, Mr. Jayasinghe works in retail but with the prize money, he intends on purchasing a new home for his family, finance his daughter’s education and travel around. He loves road trips and said he always wanted to explore the country, go see the Rockies and appreciate Canada’s beautiful scenery. He also wants to go and visit his family.
He also noted that some of the money will be put into charities that are close to his heart. As a treat to himself as a big car guy, he also plans on buying a new car. He and his wife always joked that if he won the lottery he would buy a Dodge Charger Hellcat. Winning the jackpot now allows him to make his dream of having a muscle car a reality.
Still Looking for the Missing Winner
Over a month ago, OLG made another important announcement as it informed its lottery players that a ticket from Lotto Max worth CA$70 million is about to expire. This win dates back to the June 28, 2022 draw of the game, and it was recorded in Scarborough. However, since then, the winner is yet to emerge and the 52-week deadline for claiming it, is just around the corner.
Shortly after this press from the Crown agency, spokesperson Tony Bitonti shared that OLG received 760 calls about the expiring ticket. He explained that if the winner lost the ticket, then the Crown will proceed to investigate by asking them a couple of follow-up questions. If the answers are correct, then the individual will advance to the next stage.
Source: “‘It didn’t feel real’: Windsor, Ont., man wins $35M lottery” CBC News, June 21, 2023
