‘We’re millionaires:’ $1 Encore draw turns into $1M for eastern Ontario resident

Selby, Ont. resident John Dowling took home $1 million from an Encore pick. (OLG/Provided)

Saying yes to a $1 Encore pick paid off for eastern Ontario resident John Dowling.

The retiree and father of two from Selby, just north of Napanee, matched all seven Encore numbers in the exact order to win the top prize of $1 million in the May 17 Lotto 6/49 draw.

“When I found out I’d won $1 million, I was shocked!” Dowling said while picking up his winnings at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) Prize Centre in Toronto.

Dowling told the OLG he’s been playing the lottery for decades, typically playing twice a week. His go-to games are Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max.

The winning ticket was purchased at Petro-Canada on County Road 41 in Napanee. The winning numbers were 7656157.

“The day after the draw, I went to the store to have my ticket validated,” Dowling recalled.

“The cashier scanned my ticket and the lottery terminal froze. I think she was even more excited than I was.”

An OLG representative called the store to start the prize claim process. As he was driving home from the store, he saw his wife out for a walk with their dog.

“I lowered my car window and suddenly got overwhelmed — happy tears started streaming down my face. My wife thought something was wrong and came over to me, asking, ‘What happened?’ I got out of the car, gave her a big hug, and told her, ‘We’re millionaires,’” he said.

He then revealed the news to his two sons.

“When I got home, I asked my son who was there at the time, ‘What kind of car do you want?’ Then I called my other son and asked him the same question,” Dowling said.

Dowling says he plans to share his winnings with his children, buy a new car and invest.

Encore offers 22 ways to win and can be played with most lottery games for an extra $1. There are two Encore draws every day.

Inverary, Ont. resident wins $100,000

A resident of Inverary, Ont., just north of Kingston, took home $100,000 for also saying yes to an Encore draw.

Long-time lottery player Andy Singh matched the last six of seven numbers in the exact order in the April 8 Lotto Max draw.

“I went to the gas station to pump gas and purchased a ticket while I was there. That’s become a routine for me — buying a ticket when I go for gas,” he told the OLG while visiting the Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his win.

About a month after buying his Lotto Max ticket, Singh took a pile of tickets he’d kept in his car to the store to check them.

“I went to the ticket checker and scanned them one by one,” he said. “When I scanned this one and saw the prize amount on the screen, I was in disbelief. I was so shocked and excited.”

Singh says he will pay off bills, invest and take a “well-deserved” vacation. He also plans to buy a special gift for his wife.

“Being a winner feels unbelievable,” he said.

“You feel like jumping from all the excitement.”

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