Lottery fans may think they have been dealt some pretty unusual hands by Lady Luck along the way, but these stories unearthed by Oddee.com of three lotto winners prove that luck can affect people in unbelievably crazy ways.
Dreaming of millions
Toronto pensioner Mary Wollens landed herself a lottery jackpot in 2006 after she dreamt of a lotto ticket and a large cheque.
Interestingly, the 86-year-old had already entered a draw using the numbers that appeared in her dream, but the vision prompted her to buy a second ticket with the same combination.
Incredibly, Ms Wollens ended up picking six winning numbers correctly on both tickets, entitling her to two-thirds of a C$24 million jackpot, with the final third going to another lucky soul.
Fortunately forgetful
For the majority of people, being absent-minded can cause a lot of problems, but for one 57-year-old Brit, it meant doubling a lottery win.
Derek Ladner had forgotten that he had already entered the UK National Lottery in July 2007, using the same numbers on both lines.
As luck would have it, these six regular numbers entitled Mr Ladner and his wife to two-fifths of a £2.3 million jackpot split between them and three other winners.
Camelot, the UK’s official lottery coordinator, said this was the first time a player had ever won the jackpot twice in the same draw after giving him a cheque for £599,000.
A reversal of fate
One of the most remarkable lottery winners who has experienced the entire fortune spectrum is Croatian Frane Selak.
The elderly music teacher survived when his train fromSarajevo to Dubrovnik derailed, killing 17 passengers in 1962 – and in 1963, he fell out of a plane toRijekawhen the cockpit door blew off, walking away unscathed after landing in a haystack.
In 1966, he escaped a bus crash in which four passengers died and dodged death twice more in 1970 and 1973 when his car burst into flames on two occasions.
Mr Selak was injured in 1995 when a bus hit him and he also drove off a cliff in 1996 landing in a tree, but his fortunes changed when in 2003 he won the Croatian Lottery jackpot.
“I know God was watching me over all these years,” he said.
A pair of gardening enthusiasts from Yorkshire have gone public after collecting their £1.3 million UK National Lottery jackpot prize money.
Lance and Marie Cram – who are 48 and 46 respectively – revealed they bought a ticket for the British draw on a whim while out purchasing onion seeds to sow in their allotment.
Mr Cram – who is a plumber – said he and his green-fingered other half did not think twice about the ticket until after the draw took place last month.
He admitted that one day he had been sent home early from work due to the bad weather and decided to check the lottery results online before going to watch a rugby match with his friends to see his local team, Hull, play the Wakefield Wildcats.
When he had double checked the numbers, Mr Cram said he could not believe what had happened.
“I shouted ‘flippin’ ‘eck Marie’ and called her from the kitchen to take a look,” the plumber stated, adding that they then rang up the lottery headquarters to confirm their good fortune.
The Crams bided their time before claiming the money and waited for their eldest son to come back from university before telling both their children the good news.
After telling Ms Cram’s elderly parents about their jackpot win, the whole clan went to a local restaurant to toast their success.
The reality of the situation is still sinking in for the Crams, but they have made some plans.
Mr Cram commented: “The best thing for us is that is has bought us the luxury of being able to spend much more quality time together. We’re planning lots of long Sunday afternoons in our allotment and weekends away.”
His other half – who is a teaching assistant – wants to replace her old car and take the family to Florida on a holiday, while they also have the peace of mind of being able to support their sons financially.
Fans of the UK National Lottery could find they are just as lucky as the Crams on Saturday’s draw – and they can play online on theLotter.
Many lottery fans like to play their favourite lottos with their colleagues at work – but what happens if an individual member of such a group decides to keep all the winnings?
Americo Lopes Source: AP Photo
This week, five construction workers became millionaires after a jury ruled that their former co-worker had unfairly deprived them of money they were entitled to after they struck lucky playing New JerseyLotto.
Americo Lopes – a former employee of Berto Construction – cashed in a winning lottery ticket in 2009 and subsequently pocketed an after-tax lump sum of $24 million.
The man said he had bought the slip personally and not collectively with his colleagues, because he used one of his lucky numbers in the entry.
He told the New Jersey Star Ledger that he had been robbed following the court verdict that he had to share the windfall out.
It has been revealed the co-workers used to play the lottery weekly, with each man putting $2 into the kitty and Mr Lopes was in charge of buying the tickets.
When the winning numbers came up, Mr Lopes took long-term leave for foot surgery, making a quiet exit and claiming he would return in the spring – and in March 2010, he revealed to his workmates that he had struck lucky playing the New Jersey Lotto.
A colleague, however, discovered Mr Lopes’s online lotto history and realised the numbers and the date played matched an entry that the group had all contributed to financially.
Candido Silva Sr said he froze when he realised the truth and claimed he did not want to believe what had happened.
Mr Silva and his four colleagues will each get a $4 million slice of the fortune Mr Lopes had kept from them for over two years.
As a result of this court case, the New Jersey Lotto has issued guidelines to those playing in a work group, advising players get copies of the tickets bought per entry to ensure they hold a stake in the winnings prior to a lottery draw.
The next New Jersey Pick Six lottery draw is set to take place on Thursday (March 22nd) and fans can enter online on theLotter to be in with a chance of taking home a $9.3 million fortune.
After losing his job last year, Lance Cram thought he was the unluckiest man in the UK, but 12 months on he is a millionaire.
The 48-year-old from Hessle is currently celebrating his good fortune with his wife Marie, as the couple have won £1.3 million playing the UK National Lottery, the Hull Daily Mail reports.
A year ago, Mr Cram did not know where his next pay cheque would be coming from and now he and his other half have enough to enjoy a life of luxury, after living hand-to-mouth for so long.
Lottery winners Lance and Marie Cram. Source MSN
One of the things the professional pipe fitter is most pleased about is that he can ensure his two sons leave university without any debts, while the financial security the jackpot has given them is worth more than its weight in gold.
Mr Cram was dumbfounded when he checked the results of the National Lottery on March 3rd.
“We’d missed the draw the night before so we checked on the computer the next day. When I saw the numbers, I shouted [to] Marie and said ‘You’d better come check this’,” he revealed.
“We called Camelot straight away – my hands were shaking when I was on the phone,” the millionaire added.
Until their win was verified, the couple – who will celebrate their 20th wedding anniversary this year – went on as normal, having Sunday lunch and watching the football.
They then told their sons and parents when the good news was confirmed by lottery officials.
Mr Cram said he was worried about telling his in-laws because they are very elderly and did not want to risk them having a heart attack.
“Everyone has been so pleased for us. We told our friends on Wednesday night because we wanted them to know before they read it in the paper,” he gushed.
Ms Cram – who is a primary school teacher – said her family’s newfound wealth will not prompt her to quit her job just yet and noted they would not be leaving their three-bedroom house for a luxury mansion.
What they will do, however, is go on holiday to Florida, watch the rugby in Australia and perhaps get a new car.
The next UK National Lottery draw will take place on Wednesday (March 21st) and players can enter the game on theLotter.
Lotto fans may be encouraged go and buy a lottery ticket on a whim after watching a new BBC drama.
The Syndicate – which is due to air on the BBC for the first time on March 27th – is a story penned by Kay Mellor about a group of five supermarket workers from the UK who strike lucky playing the lotto.
Starring Gavin and Stacey’s Joanna Page and Harry Potter’s Matthew Lewis and Timothy Spall, the show follows the lives of the unassuming colleagues after their luck comes in and they each get a sizeable share of an £18 million jackpot after buying a lottery ticket together.
Filmed in the Yorkshire city of Leeds, the drama demonstrates the difficulties that some lotto winners can face when they dive head-first into a windfall after living hand-to-mouth on low incomes for a prolonged period.
Ms Mellor was quoted by The Guardian as saying: “I thought, I wonder what it would be like if a group of people won the lottery. Ordinary, working-class people, in this present climate.”
The writer admitted that a lotto win would be a welcome surprise for her and her family at the moment and revealed she would love to pay off her friends’ and daughters’ mortgages and debts.
Joanna Page, who plays single mum Leanne in the show, said she would move to the country, buy a small farm and open a dog rescue shelter.
The story of The Syndicate is reminiscent of what became of a lucky band of supermarket colleagues from Hyde near Manchester, who won £6.8 million playing the UK National Lottery together in October last year.
Each member of the 16-strong group took home £430,000, with some quitting their job at the store as a result.
Debra Wilson, who formed the syndicate, told the Daily Mail she would use her money to go on a trip to the US, while others used their cash to invest in property, go on holiday and buy new cars.
“I have always wanted to go to Las Vegas and there are even rumours of one of the girls getting a bit of plastic surgery,” she said.
Many lottery fans may have a bank of lucky numbers that they cannot bear to enter a draw without, but one fortunate great-grandfather has proved that sometimes changing these digits can pay dividends.
George Keates – a 77-year-old pensioner from Southport- revealed that his wife Beryl asked him to buy some lottery tickets on a whim and gave him £5 to go to the shop and purchase the slips.
The couple, who only enter draws occasionally, usually use their lucky numbers but Mr Keates admitted that when he arrived at the store he had forgotten the digits and opted instead to use a Quick Pick lucky dip number generator.
This resulted in the Keates’ winning a massive £3.5 million UK National Lottery fortune last Saturday (March 3rd).
However, shortly before they checked their lottery ticket, the pair had just returned from seeing the doctor about Mrs Keates’ blood pressure, so when her husband looked up the winning numbers, his first though was one of terror that breaking the news to his wife would give her a heart attack.
When Mr Keates broke the news to his other half “she was in a state of collapse”, he admitted.
“She was on the stairs lying down and with her blood pressure I was telling her to take deep breaths and calm down,” the pensioner revealed.
But what will the Keates’ do with their winnings? Apparently a trip toAustraliais on the cards for the couple – who have been married for 56 years – for Mrs Keates to visit an old school friend.
“I have not seen her for a few years. When she came over last she had a stroke so she is in a home now. The last time I wrote, I told her that if I won any money on the lottery or bingo I would go and see her,” Mrs Keates said.
The pair say they have worked hard all their lives to make ends meet and believe this lotto win is the stroke of good luck they have been waiting for.
Lottery fans who want to play the UK National Lottery can do so this Saturday (March 10th) to be in with a chance of winning £4.2 million.
A messy teenager has become £50,000 wealthier after he found a winning lottery ticket in his bedroom.
Ryan Kitching – who is 19 years old and works at the fish counter of a local supermarket – was told by his mother that he had to clean up his bedroom at their Penicuik home in Midlothian, Scotland.
While begrudgingly putting washing in the hamper and collecting dirty plates and cups, the lucky lad found a UK National Lottery ticket under his bed from a draw on February 8th.
Rather than tossing the slip straight in the wastepaper basket, Mr Kitching decided to check the digits at the shop where he works and realised to his dismay that he had five main numbers and one of the bonus balls.
The supermarket worker has thanked Susan, his mother, for putting up with his untidy ways and for encouraging him to clean up his room that day, because without her nagging his £52,981-winning ticket may never have seen the light of day.
Another situation that may have occurred is that the teenager came across the lottery ticket too late to collect the payout – a scenario that can be avoided by playing the lottery online on theLotter, which alerts people by text or email if they have struck lucky.
Lotto winner Ryan Kitching. Source SWNS
Mr Kitching is still unsure what he wants to do with his National Lottery prize but says he has been enjoying a lot of nights on the tiles with his friends and is considering taking some friends away with him for a week of partying in Magaluf.
However, his father has suggested he uses the money responsibly by using it for putting a deposit down on a property, but the lottery winner has said he is reluctant to move out of his parents’ house because he likes having his dinner cooked for him.
The lottery win also offers some additional comfort to Mr Kitching, as he was recently dumped by his girlfriend.
“She’ll be sad she finished with me now,” he said.
The next UK National Lottery draw is scheduled for tomorrow (March 7th) and entrants could be in with a chance of winning £2.2 million if they get all their numbers right.
A man from Muncie, Indiana, has said he is going to spend his $5 million Hoosier Lottery fortune looking after his three daughters.
Ricky Wilbur, a 52-year-old carpenter, bought his lottery ticket more than a fortnight ago, but did not reveal his good fortune at the state lotto office until the end of last week.
In the time between realising his good luck and coming forward to officials, the winner had been taking advice from his close friends and family and sought the expertise of a financial advisor to ensure he had a sensible plan in mind for spending his Dollars when he finally went public.
The money expert told the North Vernon native to bide his time until he felt truly prepared to turn in his ticket at the Hoosier Lottery headquarters.
Mr Wilbur has decided that supporting family is going to be his priority now he is a multi-millionaire and said he will use the money to ensure his three daughters – who are 27, 28 and 30 – are financially comfortable.
He also helps to take care of his 14-year-old great niece who he treats like one of his own and will ensure she has no money worries in the future.
“It’s been a learning experience. This is something new to me and I didn’t want to end up just blowing the money. I wanted to make sure I would be doing what would be good so my kids would have it,” Mr Wilbur explained.
The generous lotto winner will also use his windfall to help his father move closer to his brother’s home in Tennessee – something the pensioner has wanted to do for some time but has never had enough cash to relocate.
Ricky Wilbur, Hoosier Lotto winner. Source Star Press
However, Mr Wilbur has allowed himself one indulgence with his newfound millions and splurged on a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado pickup truck – his dream vehicle.
“I’m really not a materialistic person,” he explained.
Mr Wilbur is Muncie’s second lottery millionaire this year, with Janice Kleeman winning $1 million playing the USA Powerball in January.
The next Hoosier Lottery drawing is due to take place on Wednesday February 29th and one lucky lotto fan could find their leap year is made all the more special if they are the one that gets to walk away with the $1.5 million jackpot.
A lottery fan from Victoria is thanking her lucky stars after taking home C$3 million playing Canadian Lotto 649 – but in addition to her good fortune, a bout of flu may also have played a small part in her winning the prize.Â
Barbara Singer said she was feeling ill last week and so went to her local convenience store for the soft drink she usually buys when under the weather – ginger ale.
Barbara Singer Source: BCLC
While she was there, she decided to buy a couple of lottery tickets and a scratch card.
As luck would have it, Ms Singer realised she had won C$25 on the Scratch & Win before she had even left the store and in her excitement, forgot all about her Canadian Lotto 649 entry.
To celebrate her stroke of luck, the lottery fan went out for lunch the following day buying her meal with her C$25 while on her midday break at work.
And while she munched away happily, Ms Singer remembered her Lotto 649 tickets and checked them on her way back to the office – which is when it dawned on her that she was now a very rich woman.
She stated: “I couldn’t believe my eyes. I just kept screaming ‘I won three freaking million Dollars!’”
Ms Singer has not made many plans for her winnings just yet, but has revealed she would like to take her family on a luxury holiday to Hawaii before she does anything else with her enormous windfall.
“It’s all been such a blur,” she added.
Players who think they are due a little luck just like Ms Singer may wish to play Canadian Lotto 649 on theLotter.
The lottery is one of Canada’s two interprovincial games and holds its draws twice weekly on Wednesday and Saturday.
And fans may be interested to learn that the largest jackpot ever won by a Lotto 649player was C$54.3 million, which was paid out in October 2005.
The next draw will be held on Saturday (February 25th) and entrants could be in with a chance to taking home the coveted C$11 million if they get all their numbers right.
A young British couple who won €53 million playing the EuroMillions this month have taken their wealth with them on a little getaway in order to decide how best to invest their enormous windfall.
According to the Daily Mirror, 22-year-olds Cassey Carrington and her fiance Matt Topham have chosen rural Walesas their destination of choice for their first holiday as multi-millionaires.
The couple – who are set to spend some of their riches on their wedding ceremony, reception and honeymoon suite in September – decided to load up the bride-to-be’s old Peugeot 207 in order to “work out what to do next”.
So far, the pair have been modest with their spending – showing a great deal of restraint for two young people who have not been used to a lot of wealth in their short lives – buying just a good-quality tent for when they attend music festivals in the summer.
Indeed, Ms Carrington and Mr Topham have not even purchased the luxury auto they have had their eyes on since learning they had won the lotto jackpot – a €153,000 Aston Martin DB9 – which is worth nearly €60,000 more than the former council house they currently live in.
A friend close to the affianced couple told the newspaper: “They Âwanted to get away for a few days, so they’ve gone to Wales. They’re just trying to chill and work out what to do with all the money.”
The insider could not reveal much as to their pals’ plans but did suggest that if they moved home, it will not be too far from their current residence in Stapleford, Nottinghamshire.
Indeed, the friend added: “They want to be near family and keep both feet on the ground.”
Currently, Mr Topham works as a painter and decorator for his dad’s company, while Ms Carrington is a store supervisor at a UK supermarket chain.
And even though the wife-in-waiting can now afford the most elegant and expensive designer gowns money can buy with her lottery winnings, she has revealed she will not be exchanging the “dream dress” she scrimped and saved for when she and her fiance first got engaged.
A widower has landed C$500,000 playing Canadian Lotto 649 after months of heartache and struggle following the death of his wife.
Richard Bankier landed the small fortune just two months after his wife of 18 years passed away in December of kidney failure – and the stroke of good fortune playing the lottery may well make life a little easier for the 47-year-old and his ten-year-old son.
Mr Bankier – who lives in Kamloops, British Columbia- bought his usual five Quick Pick Lotto 649 tickets for the February 15th draw and soon realised he had won the second-tier prize after the results were announced.
He told KTW that he had been struggling for the past couple of months following the death of his wife Adele and admitted that when he discovered his numbers had come through the feeling was bittersweet, because his other half was not there to celebrate with him and their son.
The safety coordinator plans to use his newfound wealth to pay off his mortgage and put the rest towards his son’s education and said he also has plans for a much-needed father-and-son getaway.
Mr Bankier said his wife is never far from his thoughts and added: “I just wish she was here to enjoy this.”
He said also revealed he will be taking some time off to spend with his son to reflect on their lives and make a plan for the future – something they may not have been able to afford to do without their Lotto 649 windfall.
As for why their luck came in now, Mr Bankier has his own theory.
He claimed he does not believe his lottery win is entirely down to luck and that his wife had something to do with it, handing him a little financial help during an otherwise difficult time.
The Canadian Lotto 649 has been rolling over since last week and the top prize is now worth C$7 million.
Fans can enter online on theLotter to be in with a chance of winning this life-changing sum tonight when the next draw is scheduled to take place.
A family of New Zealand Powerball fans have landed a NZ$1 million after choosing their numbers using a Quick Pick when buying their lotterytickets.
And by pure chance, the random number selector threw up digits that match up with some of the members of the household’s birthdays.
The family of five explained to lottery officials that they do have some lucky numbers they like to use when playing the lotto – but decided not to use them too often, which is why they opted for a Quick Pick.
But it is by lucky hap that these digits cropped up even without the players manually selecting the main numbers for their New Zealand Powerball entry.
“We don’t play every week, but we like to get a lucky dip every now and again. The crazy thing is that the numbers we won on include my birthday, my husband’s birthday and our son’s birthday. The lotto machine still picked our lucky numbers,” the winning ticketholder remarked in a press conference.
“You could say all our birthdays came at once,” she added.
The family celebrated their cool NZ$1 million win in a low-key celebration with friends at their local community centre when they realised they had won and – in spite of their windfall – they are looking to carry on living their lives as normal with some of the lotto cash going towards buying a new family home.
Both parents have said their riches will not stop them from working and have priorities investing in a new property because they have been renting since the Christchurch earthquake last year, which prompted them to move to the North Island away from their home town.
“Christchurch is our home and we love it here – so definitely a house first and then a car to help us get around,” the mother added.
The next New Zealand Powerball draw is scheduled for February 25th and fans can play online on theLotter to be in with a chance of winning the NZ$13.5 million estimated jackpot.
Nobody has won the New Zealand Powerball jackpot yet this year, with the last top prize going to one lucky soul on new Year’s Eve.
A CNN producer has just won her second big lottery win, landing a $1 million payout just three months after winning $100,000 in November.
However, the professional claims it is not just down to luck and the fact she has worked hard all her life is the reason she has been handed this “blessing”.
Jennifer Hauser lottery winner. Source: Georgia Lottery
Jennifer Hauser wanted to set the record straight about being a lottery winner, because many of her friends and colleagues have been asking her what it feels like to scoop a small fortune, so she decided to let the world know in the form of a blog on the CNN website.
She stated that she throws her whole self into her work and is lucky enough to have a career she loves and co-workers who are also good friends – and she is thankful for this every day and does not take anything for granted.
Ms Hauser revealed she plays the lotto once in a while with her husband, who likes to buy the tickets for the pair of them.
The first winning lottery ticket was purchased in November last year at the same time her dented car needed a service and household debts were beginning to cast a dark cloud over the family finances, but after the good news of the $100,000 windfall, Ms Hauser could not have believed a second round of good luck would come their way.
She said the $1 million ticket for the Georgia Lottery – which was founded in 1993 – was purchased around the time of their seventh wedding anniversary and Valentine’s Day because her other half thought a lottery entry would be a cute way of celebrating their love.
“To win a second time and for that amount was a bit of a miracle. I just could not believe it,” Ms Hauser stated.
Despite appreciating the luck that has come her way and helped make her family life more comfortable, the producer said she would not think people should rely on the lotto to make them happy and concentrate on their loved ones.
“I want you to know that you must always have faith, always work as hard as you possibly can and do your best to do what is right,” she said.
Many lotto fans who strike lucky playing their favourite draw like to give some of their newfound wealth to a good cause close to them and one such winner has revealed she wants to make sure she gives more than just a token of support to the hospital that helped her beat cancer.
Source Thinkstock
Duncan and Sheila Davidson celebrated winning £4.5 million playing the UK National Lottery on Saturday (February 11th) and the 53-year-old survivor has said she feels grateful for their good fortune, admitting life has not been so good for her and her husband.
Ms Davidson – who lives with her roofer partner in the Aberdeenshire town of Alford- revealed that she was diagnosed with cancer of the mouth in 2010.
She told the press: “I want to give Âsomething to the Aberdeen Royal ÂInfirmary. Without them, I wouldn’t be here today.”
The stock controller also admitted she only bough the ticket after having a lucky streak playing bingo and winning eight times.
Ms Davidson – who selected the winning numbers using a Quick Pick random number selector – realised she had won a fortune when she couldn’t sleep on Sunday night and got up to check the results of Saturday’s draw.
She said: “I thought I was going mad and woke Duncan to check. We were in complete denial that we could be so lucky.”
While Ms Davidson has not revealed whether or not she intends to keep her job as a stock controller, her husband – who is 60 – handed in his notice at work on Sunday and now plans to spend his days indulging in his favourite pastimes – watching Manchester United on the television and playing the bagpipes.
Indeed, Mr Davidson is looking forward to spending more time with the Lonach Pipe Band, which is comprised entirely of musicians who specialise in playing the traditional Scottish instrument.
Fans can play the UK National Lottery online on theLotter this Saturday (February 18th) to be in with a chance of winning £4.2 million, which would give them the opportunity to donate to a good cause close to their hearts just like Mrs Davidson.
Lottery fans may play their favourite draw in the hopes of taking home a cash prize, but not having such luck is part and parcel of the game.
However, one unfortunate soul from Spainfound himself to be the only person in his home town not to take home a lotto payout in December.
Filmmaker Costis Mitsotakis was the only man in Sodeto not to buy a lottery ticket in a pool with fellow residents to be in with a chance of winning a share of the €700 million Spanish El Gordo jackpot promised in the special Christmas draw.
According to reports, the unlucky Spaniard’s home was overlooked by his neighbours when they went from door to door selling the slips.
As a result of the draw, around 70 households in Sodeto – which lies just north-east of the capital Madrid – took home a share of at least €99,000 apiece after one of the lines in their festive ticket pool matched all the numbers drawn in the special Christmas Day event.
Sodeto – like much ofSpain- suffers high unemployment and its 250 inhabitants are mostly farmers and manual labourers with relatively modest incomes, however now most of them are sitting on millions of Euros.
The Spanish El Gordo lottery – which translated into English means The Fat One – has been a staple in the country for two centuries and residents of Sodeto and households from nearby villages all participated in the civic group’s lottery pool, pumping €115 million into the local economy.
Costis Mitsotakis told the New York Times last month that he was sad he did not win part of the enormous shared prize currently being enjoyed by his friends, but his story does have a silver lining because thanks to his neighbours’ increased wealth he succeeded in selling a large patch of land than he had been struggling for some time to find a buyer for.
In addition to its special Christmas game the El Gordo also has weekly draws on Sunday.
Fans can play on theLotter this weekend to be in with a chance to taking home the coveted €13.7 million jackpot.
For some it may be holidays, others the chance to quit their jobs, but for many lottery winners, the first thing they want to do with their newfound fortune is buy the ultimate set of wheels.
And that is exactly what Neath-born EuroMillions winner Gavin Davies will be doing, as the 29-year-old professional cage fighter is going to hand in his battered old Audi and replace it with a shiny new white Lamborghini Spyder.
But the millionaire has a lot to thank his old car for, as he revealed he only realised he had landed a €1.2 million jackpot when he found his lottery ticket in the glove compartment 17 days after he bought it.
EuroMillions winner Gavin Davies
He said he was prompted to check for his old EuroMillions slips after his granddad revealed there was a lottery winner in the local area and that it could be him.
Spookily, Mr Davies looked up the winning numbers on Friday 13th – a day that is thought to be unlucky.
The sportsman was out and about this week test-driving models by the famous luxury car brand.
“I can’t wait to visit the showrooms to choose one – I will be like a kid in a sweet shop,” he said.
Mr Davies revealed that it was always his dream to win a million playing the lotto but had only ever taken home small amounts in the past.
The extra cash will come as an added blessing for the cage fighter, as he and his partner have recently welcomed a baby boy – who he accidentally woke up when he discovered he had landed himself a small fortune.
“Becoming a millionaire at any time is great but being 29 and having my first child it could not have come at a better time. I’ve always wanted a Lamborghini and now I’m going to be purring around in one. I’m going to be the most popular man in town!”
Lotto fans who have dreams of owing a supercar may want to enter the EuroMillions in time for Friday’s (January 20th) draw, as numerous rollovers have inflated the top prize to €48 million.
The pressure to keep a winning lottery ticket safe must be unbearable for those lucky enough to choose the correct numbers, but oneYorkshire family knew exactly where to put their slip for safekeeping.
Judy and Frank Whitmore from Tockwith in the UK landed a €1.2 million cash prize playing EuroMillions just before Christmas last month and decided that they would stow their lottery ticket safely away in an antique teapot before taking it to the lottery headquarters to collect their payout.
Ms Whitmore explained that the hiding place has sentimental value because it belonged to her husband’s great-great-grandmother.
She noted that the teapot is kept on the kitchen shelf and she knew it would be a safer place than the windowsill or her purse – where she usually keeps her lottery tickets.
Source: PA
The couple realised their luck had come through when they checked their EuroMillions numbers on Christmas Eve.
Ms Whitmore said she was so excited that she had to ask her son to check the numbers and call the lottery for her, because neither she nor her husband could speak.
When it dawned on them, the couple – who are in their 60s – admitted they screamed with excitement.
After the realisation they had won a fortune began to sink in, the family went for a stroll to regain a sense of normality.
“We just wandered down the river with great big smiles on our faces and occasionally laughing,” Ms Whitmore said.
The pair did not reveal the happy news to their other two children until they were all together on Christmas Day – with the lottery win coming in as a late yuletide gift for the whole family.
But what will the Whitmores be spending their newfound EuroMillions wealth on? The couple have revealed they want to enjoy themselves and said they will buy a new car – perhaps a Nissan Rav4 – and plan some walking holidays across the UK.
Lotto fans who want a taste of the lifestyle this family can now enjoy may wish to play EuroMillions in time for tomorrow’s (January 17th) draw, which promises a jackpot worth around €35 million following numerous rollovers.
A 50-year-old father from Staten Island has scooped $14 million playing USA New York Lottothis week.
According to New York Daily News, Edward Foti went down to the lottery headquarters on Tuesday (December 20th) to collect his prize where he revealed that he feels “Blessed, especially in these hard times”.
Mr Foti used a Quick Pick random number generator to select the winning numbers on his lottery ticketand has chosen to receive his payout as a lump sum rather an annuity.
But despite this incredible new wealth to play with, the grievance representative has claimed he will not be changing too much, admitting he will be staying in his job and using the money to set his son up for college and care for his mother.
Mr Foti was even laid back when he discovered his good luck, revealing that when he realised he was holding the ticket to a $14 million fortune on his lunch break, he went on eating his sandwich and returned to the office as normal.
Fans of USA New York Lotto may want to try their chances at a Quick Pick number selection at theLotter to be in with a chance of winning the jackpot in the Christmas Eve draw on Saturday (December 24th).
A cash-strapped widow has said how grateful she is after finding out her Lotto 649 numbers landed her C$500,000 in time for Christmas.
According to Kamloops News, Bonnie Marchand – who is 59 – has been living hand-to-mouth since the death of her estranged husband in 2008, but decided on a whim to spend the last C$5 in her purse on a lottery ticket on December 7th.
The following day, she only checked her slip to see if she had won when she heard a lucky soul from her neighbourhood had scooped half a million playing the same lotto and admits she could hardly believe her good fortune.
“I looked and I thought, ‘Oh my God, I can buy a brand-new sewing machine’,” Ms Marchand remarked.
Ms Marchand had been living on welfare payments after the death of her husband as a result of a heart attack and the stress of living alone and other family ups and downs.
She revealed her low income meant having to get her bread from the local Salvation Army outlet, but with her newfound wealth she can enjoy fresh baked goods every day.
And lottery fans can play Canada Lotto 649 on December 24th to be in with a chance of winning the C$12 million jackpot in time for Christmas.
There are many excited USA Mega Millions lotto jackpot fans around the world eagerly anticipating tomorrow’s (December 20th) draw.
This is because on Friday (December 16th) the massive North American game saw no lucky winners take home the enormous $135 million top prize.
As a result, this huge payout has ratcheted up to $152 million – and with just two more games before Christmas, lottery fans might be on the edge of their seats as they excitedly await the coming draws on Tuesday and Friday.
Long-time fans of the USA Mega Millions may already be aware that the game’s jackpot payouts have not reached such staggering heights since March of this year.
The draw is known for its massive top prizes and in March 2007, the largest ever sum of $390 million was shared between two winning ticketholders based in New Jersey and Georgia.
This jackpot is the largest-ever to have been won in North America.
Lottery fans who are already growing more excited about their chances tomorrow may also be watching events unravel in the USA Powerball – as both lottery draws are reflecting one another in terms of rollovers resulting in massive jackpots such as Wednesday’s estimated $104 million top prize.
