Northern Ont. man wins $250K on a scratch ticket

Raymond Niemi of Sprucedale, Ont., is celebrating after winning a $250,000 top prize with Instant Crossword Deluxe.

He bought the scratch ticket while cashing in some other OLG lotto tickets.

“I had some winning tickets to cash in, so I went to the store and picked up a few more,” Niemi said in an OLG news release.

“That evening, while watching the hockey game, I decided to play them. I knew I’d won something, but thought it was maybe a $100 prize. When I scanned my ticket using the OLG app on my phone, I realized I’d won much more than that -- $250,000!”

Daughter was really excited

He said his daughter may have been more excited than he was to learn how much he had won.

“I plan to invest for my retirement, complete some home renovations and buy a new vehicle,” Niemi said.

“But I’ve yet to make any final decisions.”

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The winning ticket was purchased at Kirk’s Gas & Convenience on Highway 518 in Sprucedale.

“OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game,” the release said.

“That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with our globally recognized PlaySmart program.”