Deborah and Randall Neil of Brantford are celebrating after winning a $100,000 top prize with the instant Crossword Tripler game.
Deborah and Randall have been playing the lottery with OLG for about 30 years, with a special fondness for instant games like CROSSWORD and BINGO. Now, they’re thrilled to share the story of their first big win.
It was a seemingly ordinary day when Deborah scanned their ticket using the OLG app and discovered they won big. “My eyes went wide,” she shared while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to collect their winnings. “I thought to myself, ‘Did we just win big? Wow.’ I was just shocked and couldn’t believe it.”
In that moment, Deborah let out a scream so loud that Randall came running to find out what happened. “When I found out we won, I said, ‘This is unbelievable! Are you kidding? No way!’” Randall recalled. “Like Deborah, I was in disbelief.”
Randall said that he and Deborah stood there for a moment in stunned silence, trying to process the reality of their win. “I checked the ticket over and over; maybe 30 times in total. I just had to be sure it was real!” he said, with a chuckle.
“We were both over the moon,” Deborah added. “I couldn’t believe this was happening to us.”
The duo has only shared the news with their close family so far. “Our family was surprised but very happy for us.”
With their windfall, Deborah and Randall plan to pay off some bills, invest for the future, and take a train trip to Halifax to enjoy a nice holiday. They also intend to give a portion of their winnings to their grandson to go toward his education.
“There are a whole lot of emotions running through me right now,” Randall continued. “Words can’t even describe what I’m feeling; it just feels too good to be true. No one ever prepares you for something like this.”
“I still don’t think it’s really hit me yet. I’m still in shock. This win truly is a dream come true,” Deborah concluded.
