ontario lotto winner

Ontario woman who recently started playing the lottery wins big

What would you do if you learned you'd just won $100,000 in the lottery?

Well, Karen Murphy of Belleville, Ontario, chose to call her best friend the moment she found out.

The Belleville resident had bought a Lotto Max ticket at a Daisy Mart in her city and chose to say yes to the "Encore" option, which paid off beautifully, winning her $100,000 in the July 11 draw.

Swayed by news about hefty jackpots, Murphy began playing the lottery only recently. She's already won smaller prizes, but this one blew her mind.

While at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up her prize money, Murphy recalled what it was like to find out she’d won big.

"I initially thought I had won $100. I had to check my ticket three times," the restaurant worker admitted. "When I learned how much I'd really won, I was stunned and felt numb!"

As one does, Murphy called up her bestie.

"At first, she thought something was wrong. I told her I won, and we started screaming over the phone – we couldn't believe it was happening!" she shared.

Then, Murphy visited her friend's house, and the two celebrated the win. Their bond is so strong that she even brought her to the Prize Centre to wrap up the experience.

"I'm unbelievably grateful it happened to me. It's an amazing feeling, and it's just starting to sink in," Murphy shared, adding that she'll keep playing the lottery in future.

As far as prize money plans go, this windfall will be a nest egg. There are no lavish vacations or seven-day cruises in the schedule yet, and Murphy wants to be smart with her money.

She said it'll help her prepare for the future and manage her finances.

"Maybe I'll go shopping, too," the winner concluded.

Lead photo by

OLG


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