Ontario mom of 7 wins $5M lottery, plans to buys a Reuben sandwich from this Waterloo restaurant
Sarah Nellis just hit the jackpot — literally. The mother of seven won the $5 million top prize with the Instant Mega lottery game, and already has big plans for her windfall.
But first, she'll be treating herself to a Reuben sandwich from The Daily Grill in Waterloo, Ont.
Along with the delicious meal, Nellis is also looking forward to purchasing an accessible home and buying more Mega tickets.
'This win comes with a sense of relief,' said Nellis, while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up her windfall. 'It truly feels like a Christmas miracle.'
She purchased her winning ticket at 7 Days Mini Mart on Phillip Street in Waterloo and discovered her life-changing win using the OLG app.
'I was certainly surprised when I saw that I'd won the top prize,' said Nellis.
As a longtime lottery player, Nellis enjoys playing Instant games and was overjoyed to share the news of her first mega win with her family.
'I shared the good news with my mom and my kids by sending them a screenshot of the winning message and asking them to check their phones,' she said. 'Everyone was shocked!'
Instant Mega is available for $50 a play, with a top prize of $5 million. It's a scratch-and-win game where players uncover symbols to see if they match the winning ones. Each ticket contains 10 games, and the farther you progress, the higher the prize. The odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.15, with over 2.2 million prizes available.
For Nellis, this win represents more than just a financial boost — it's an opportunity to enjoy life's little pleasures, starting with that delicious Rueben sandwich.
If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.
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