Ont. man buys winning $1M lotto ticket as wife waits in hospital with newborn: 'Figured I would try my luck'
The jackpot is a nice way to welcome the latest addition to the Dupre family.
An Ontario man is celebrating becoming a millionaire and a father of two at the same time.
Ian Dupre, a 37-year-old data analyst from Embrun, Ont., struck gold with his first major lottery win, taking home $1 million from the Instant Ultimate draw held on Jan. 4, 2024.
Dupre recounted the surreal moment where he found out he became a millionaire, while also celebrating the birth of his new-born baby.
“I drove my wife to the next town over to have our baby,” said Dupre, while at the OLG Prize Centre to pick up his winnings.
“After the baby was born, I decided to pick up some tickets while we were waiting to leave the hospital. I saw the Ultimate ticket, and figured I would try my luck.”
The winning ticket was purchased at Quickie Pearl on William Street in Brockville, Ont., just a 13-minute walk away from Brockville General Hospital.
Playing the lottery that day paid off, as Dupre was one of the top winners from the draw, making him a millionaire instantly.
“Sure enough, I checked my ticket after the draw and saw I won $1 million — I was in complete disbelief!” said Dupre.
Dupre, who is not a regular lottery player, then went to share the good news with his wife, who was also just as surprised.
“The first person I told was my wife and she couldn’t believe it,” said Dupre.
The family plans to invest their winnings, and to catch up on some bills. The winning ticket was purchased at Quickie Pearl on William Street in Brockville, Ont.
Instant Ultimate offers players the best chance to win $1 million. With forty $1 million prizes and ten $100,000 instant prizes available, the overall odds of winning are 1 in 3.55. For $100 a play, players can scratch through seven games for a chance at one of the cash prizes.
The Instant Ultimate draw was completed on January 4, 2024. If you participated in the draw, make sure you check out the winning numbers here to see if you are one of the lucky ticket holders. Players have one year from the draw date to claim their prize.
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