It’s not the first time that William Mcneil has come up lucky while playing the lottery.
A Windsor, Ont., truck driver decided to continue his work day routine after he discovered he won a Lotto 6/49 jackpot while getting ready to hit the road.
For long-time lottery player and grandfather William Mcneil, 73, it was the July 5, 2023 draw that brought him a big prize. On the day of his win, Mcneil was going on about his morning routine — he was drinking his morning coffee when he decided to check his tickets. He was unsure how much he had won until he double checked his ticket at the convenience store after work, to see he snagged a second prize worth $132,258.20.
“I kept matching numbers and discovered I was a winner,” said Mcneil, while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings. “I took some time to process my win as I continued my work week.”
“It was great. I thought to myself ‘How often does this happen?’”
His luck continued as he won $10 on another one of his Lotto 6/49 selections, bringing his total winnings to $132,368.20. Despite having won other small lottery prizes in the past, this is his largest win to date.
After discovering his prize, Mcneil was in shock and decided to share the exciting news with his kids, who were also in disbelief.
“One of my daughters said to the other, ‘I think dad got pranked!’” said Mcneil.
The winning ticket was purchased at Mac’s on Wyandotte Street in Windsor. The winning numbers were 3, 4, 10, 12, 30, 34 and a Bonus of 14. Mcneil matched 5 out of the 6 numbers, and the added bonus, leading him to the second prize.
With the win, Mcneil plans to invest, share the money with his kids and plan for the future.
“This money would take a long time to save,” said Mcneil. “It will certainly enhance my life.”
Lotto 6/49 offers players a chance to win two multi-million dollar jackpots every Wednesday and Saturday, for the same $3 per play. The Classic Draw offers a fixed $5 million jackpot for every draw, while the Gold Ball Draw guarantees a $1 million prize, or the growing jackpot that starts at $10 million and can exceed $60 million.