A man who has been playing lottery scratchcards every day since the 1980s finally won big on his birthday - landing a whopping $100,000 (£62,000).
John Harris, from Dresden, Ontario, Canada, revealed he's been a daily player of the Instant Bingo and Lottario games for nearly four decades but has never won the top prize - until now.
John, who is now retired, admitted to lottery officials he has been one of their most loyal players: “I’ve been a daily lottery player since the ‘80s.”
He was out doing some shopping and bought the winning $5 Instant Bingo Doubler ticket from a mini-mart but waited until he got home to scratch it off.
John, a father and granddad, said something caught his attention while scratching the card.
“I saw the number 32 and thought I may have a big win. I kept scratching and I was so shocked to find out I matched all the numbers,” he said.
He won the Instant Bingo top prize of $100,000 (£62,042) which left him struggling to get to bed due to the excitment.
John told officials from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG): “I couldn’t sleep that night because I was so excited.
“The next day was my birthday so I went to the store to have my ticket checked.
“It was a great birthday present!”
John said he will use his winnings to carry out some home renovations and treat himself to a new iPhone.
He added that the cash will also go towards celebrating his daughter’s wedding in Costa Rica.
The lucky winner bought his ticket at Rosco’s Mini Mart on North Street in Dresden.
Last year, an Ontario man scooped a $1 million lottery prize for the second time in just over 12 months.
Antoine Beaini, 68, from the town of Milton, said he continued to play Lotto Max despite winning $1 million (£635,345) in the summer of 2021.
His love for the game paid off again and he scooped another Maxmillions payout of $1 million on the September 23 draw last year.
After beating the odds by winning twice, Antoine said: “I couldn’t believe it. I thought ‘again?’ It was more shocking than the first win.”
He added: “I told my wife and she was very happy!”
