A northern Ontario man is celebrating a six-figure lottery win after scratching a Father’s Day instant game ticket. Matthew R. of Sudbury, Ont., won $275,000 playing The Big Spin (Game #3116), a $5 lottery scratch ticket with odds of winning any prize at 1 in 3.73. The Big Spin game combines popular scratch play with prizes revealed in-store by an animated spinning wheel on the lottery terminal screen and, potentially, a chance at an in-person spin on The Big Spin Wheel at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, Ont., for up to $500,000. More details about the game can be found on the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s website. ‘I knew I won something big’ Matthew, who says he plays a variety of OLG games including Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49 and scratch tickets, told OLG he picked up his Big Spin ticket before catching the bus. “I scratched it and it said ‘SPIN,’ so I brought it to the store. When I had it validated, the screen froze. I knew I won something big,” he said while at the OLG Prize Centre for his Big Spin event. “I had to tell someone,” he added. Daughters get the first call Eager to share the news, Matthew phoned his daughters right away. “They were thrilled and said, ‘Are you kidding me?’ I also told my friends, and I think they were even more excited than I was,” he said. Powerful spin The excitement carried over to the Prize Centre, where Matthew stepped up to The Big Spin Wheel surrounded by cheers from the audience. “I’m ready, guys,” he said before giving the wheel what was described as a powerful spin. A video provided by OLG shows the wheel rotated several times before landing on $275,000. “I knew I’d be leaving with at least $100,000, but when it landed on $275,000, I was overjoyed,” Matthew said. Plans for the winnings Matthew said he plans to pay some bills, share some of his winnings with his mother, take a vacation and save for retirement. “This is a huge opportunity for me to do a lot of things,” he said. The winning ticket was purchased at Victory Convenience on Falconbridge Highway in Garson, OLG confirmed. Play responsibly “OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game,” said OLG on its website. “That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with our globally recognized Playsmart program.” Playsmart offers information on gambling games. If you or someone you know is struggling with a problem, help is available.
