Provincial posted Oct 7, 2024 @ 05:25pm by Josh Duncan

Lotto ticket worth $1M sat in BC man’s wallet for weeks before he checked it

It’s a good thing Paul Masters didn’t lose his wallet at the end of the summer.

If he did, he may have never checked his Lotto Max ticket from the Aug. 16 draw and learned that it won a $1-million Maxmillions prize.

“I was in the grocery store and had a few tickets in my wallet,” the resident of Sidney on Vancouver Island recalled.

“My first ticket won $1, second ticket was $20, which was exciting, and then I checked the third ticket which had a lot of zeroes. I checked again and put the ticket in a safety deposit box right away!”

<who>Photo Credit: BCLC</who>Paul Masters

The first person Masters told about his life-changing win was a good friend he’s known since high school, who he said “was very happy” for him.

The music-loving Masters will likely spend a bit of money to fund his synthesizer and audio-production hobby, but also wants to use some of the windfall to travel.

“I haven’t been to Japan yet and would like to visit,” he explained, adding that the funds also ease any concerns over his retirement and help him continue to care for his elderly mother.

The winning ticket was purchased at the Shoppers Drug Mart on Beacon Avenue in Sidney.

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