Barrie man tries his luck with new lottery game and wins big

Shawn Farah hopes to put his Triple Millions prize money to good use after the Barrie, Ont., man won in the July 25, 2024, Early Bird draw. (Source: OLG)

When Shawn Farah decided to try out a lottery game he'd never played before, he never expected to win big.

The Barrie man said he's been trying his luck with lottery tickets for as long as he can remember, usually sticking to Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49. But when the store clerk suggested he try a new game called Triple Millions, he decided why not—and that decision paid off in the amount of $50,000.

"I was at my kitchen table, enjoying a coffee, when I scanned my ticket on the OLG app. I saw the prize amount and thought it was a joke. I thought, 'Yeah, okay,' and left the ticket on the table," he said.

After giving it some time, he scanned the ticket he purchased at the Little Eleven on Yonge Street in Barrie a second time.

"I just started thinking about all the things I could do," Farah said.

He plans to put his winnings to good use.

" I want to do something of purpose with my winnings. I volunteer a lot and support my community, so I know a lot of this win will go to the people who need it. I believe that is what community is all about," the salesman said, adding he also wants to pay some bills and help his family.

Triple Millions is available until August 29 and costs $20 per game. The limited-time lottery game has three $1 million top prizes, three $50,000 early bird prizes and hundreds of prizes ranging from $1,000 to $250,000.