Two Identical Tickets Win Lotto 649 Jackpot
Harry Black, a 66 year old from Surrey beat almost unimaginable odds to win $31.7 million on a Lotto 6/49 jackpot draw that was held on April 13th. Surrey held two of the four winning tickets for the draw and won half of the $63 million jackpot.
Black walked around with the winning tickets in his back pocket for nearly a month and last week finally came forward to claim his prizes - two identical checks for $15.8 million each. Asked where he stashed the tickets until now, Black said: "In my wallet. Because who's gonna take it from me?"
Same Lottery Numbers for 35 Years
Black collected his two novelty checks last week and told the waiting press that he had played the exact same lottery numbers for 35 years and that he regularly purchased a pair of lottery tickets with the same numbers. Although it took him over four decades to win, Black's method finally paid off in a huge way.
The odds of winning such a huge jackpot with identical lottery tickets was described by the vice president of lottery gaming for the BCLC, Kevin Gass as "about a gazillion to one".
When he found out that Black had stored the winning tickets in his back pocket since the draw, Gass admitted that he had been quite courageous.
Gass said that the win was "an amazing day for the BCLC, and frankly, an amazing day for lotteries in Canada.
Winner Plans Holiday to Last Several Years
Harry Black, who works in the film industry, has no family and few friends. "I have five friends," he said. "I don't need any more."
Black said that he had taken so long to come forward to claim his massive windfall because he wanted to deal with the stress of winning and make plans for the funds.
The Lotto 6/49 winner's first plan is take a very long holiday. When asked by the reporters how long the vacation would last, Black said: "I don't know. A couple of years? I've gone a lifetime without taking a holiday. I've got to make up for it."
Launched in 1982, Lotto 6/49 is one of Canada's most popular national lottery games and was the first nationwide game to allow Canadian lottery players to select their own numbers. Lotto 6/49 draws are held every Wednesday and Saturday.
