Jackpot Win Came as a Shock
The couple came forward to claim their winnings from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Prize Centre in Toronto this week. They admitted that the win was surprising as they do not play the lottery often, but on this occasion Kurdistan sent her husband out with $10 to buy tickets from a nearby convenience store, joking, “Maybe tomorrow I'll be rich.”
They checked their ticket at the same store after the draw and said they were ‘in shock’ when they learned how much they had won. “I was shaking. I cannot talk. I cannot do anything,” Kurdistan said. “We haven’t slept since we found out we won. Once we get our cheque in the bank, we’ll be much better,” her husband Tawfik added.
As well as looking forward to an extra-special Christmas, the couple plan on purchasing new cars and paying off some debts.
Kurdistan and her husband bought the winning ticket from the Hasty Market convenience store near to their family-owned Rosh Bakery and Shawarma on Westwood Drive. Dhruv Patel, the store clerk that sold the winning ticket, said: “When I got the call that I sold the winning ticket I was so surprised.”
The other jackpot-winning ticket from the December 15th drawing was sold in The Prairies region of Canada, but the winner is yet to come forward.
Canada Lotto Max Changes Rolling Out In 2019
Some exciting changes have been announced for one of Canada’s other popular games, Lotto Max. The changes are scheduled to be rolled out in May 2019 and include an extra weekly draw and an increase in the maximum jackpot that can be won. Below is a list of all the changes that will come into effect:
- A brand new draw will take place every Tuesday, in addition to the existing draw on Friday.
- The jackpot cap will increase from $60 million to $70 million.
- The number of balls players have to choose from will increase from 49 to 50, so the odds of winning will change as a result.
- Two new prizes will be available: one for matching five numbers and the bonus, and another for matching four plus the bonus.
The cost of tickets will remain at $5 for three lines, and the accompanying Maxmillions game, in which an extra prize of $1 million is awarded, will still be played when the jackpot reaches $50 million.
These new rules will come into effect for the draw on Tuesday May 14th 2019, with the first tickets going on sale from Saturday May 11th.