'Thought it was a hoax': Vancouver Island man wins $588K lottery prize

Paul Willie from Port Hardy, B.C., is pictured. (BCLC)

A Vancouver Island man was excited to tell his kids about a recent lottery prize, something he thought may have been a scam at first.

Paul Willie from Port Hardy, B.C., was on a road trip when he stopped in Nanaimo, B.C. to spend a night at a hotel.

During his stay, he visited the B.C. Lottery Corporation's website and tried out a virtual slot machine app.

Soon after, Willie found himself the winner of a $588,376.64 prize.

"I wasn’t quite sure what to think," Willie said in a release Thursday.

"I pressed the screen off and on again. I thought it was a hoax," he explained.

The Port Hardy man's mood quickly changed after the win was verified by the BCLC.

The first thing he did after confirming the win was tell his family.

"I was most excited to share the news with my children," said Willie.

Willie now plans on using the prize money to buy a new car and possibly hit the road again for another trip.