crossword lottery winner

21-year-old Mississauga student wins lottery twice in one year

Most lottery winners say they plan to use their windfall to pay off their mortgage or save for retirement. But for a 21-year-old lottery winner, priorities are going to look slightly different.

Tianshu Chu is a 21-year-old student from Mississauga who loves playing the $3 and $5 Instant Crossword tickets.

"I’ve been playing for a year and a half," said Chu. "Crossword is my favourite, of course — I’ve won on it twice."

Talk about lucky — in 2022, at the age of 20, he won the Instant Crossword Tripler top prize worth $100,000.

At the time, he said he planned to invest his money, pay his tuition, and go to a Raptor’s game in the fall.

"And I’ll purchase my favourite jersey," he said.

Fast forward less than a year later, and Chu has another reason to celebrate.

He purchased a $5 Instant Crossword Tripler game at R&R Newstand on Dundas Street in Mississauga and was playing his ticket when he realized he had won again.

"I knew I won $100,000 right away when I was scratching the ticket. My heart was pumping, I felt on top of the world," he said. "I thought, 'I could pay my university tuition!' I couldn’t believe I won a second time."

Chu was so excited that he called his parents to share the news but they refused to believe their son had won again and was now $200,000 richer.

"I sent them a photo to prove it," he said. "They are happy!"

As for what he plans to do with his winnings, Chu remains a massive Raptors fan.

"I will use this win to pay off my tuition, watch the Raptors playoffs, purchase a car, and take a trip around Canada to explore the country," he said.

Lead photo by

Tianshu Chu with both wins / OLG


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Doug Ford just got even tougher on Ontario bike lanes with new measures

Toronto's $27 billion Ontario Line just crossed its biggest construction milestone so far

Rare Canadian gold coin sells for over $1.5 million

Toronto ranked among the top 100 best cities in the world for 2025

A full list of all the items included in Canada's holiday GST cut

Liquid soap sold at stores across Canada recalled due to contamination

Canadians to get GST cut on groceries and new $250 rebate ahead of holidays

Snow is finally coming to southern Ontario and here's when it will hit