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Ont. woman waits 3 months before realizing she won $100K lottery through $1 bonus game

One Pickering, Ont. native is a whole lot richer, as she can now call herself a 'lottery winner.'

Jade Jenkins holding a ENCORE lottery check worth $100,000. (Courtesy: OLG)
Jade Jenkins is looking forward to a brighter future after her first big lottery win. (Courtesy: OLG)

It took three months to find out the news, but a lottery ticket that was initially a gift from a friend has led to an unexpected win for an Ontario woman.

Jade Jenkins, 21, experienced a life changing moment when she won $100,000 playing ENCORE as part of OLG’s Lottario draw. The ENCORE system allows players to pay an extra $1 as a bonus game to attach to their already purchased ticket for a host game.

“This ticket was a gift from my friend,” said Jenkins while at the OLG Price Centre in Toronto to pick up her winnings.

“I had this ticket for three months before I checked in. I finally brought it to the convenience store and scanned it. When I found out I was a big winner, I was shocked! I stared at the screen for a while trying to process what I was seeing.”

The draw's Encore on Oct. 1 was 5556473, and her ticket matched six of seven, allotting her a prize of $100,000. This marks her first big win, while the ticket was purchased at a Shoppers Drug Mart on Westney Road in Ajax, Ont.

Upon the good news, Jenkins went home to her mom and friend.

“She was in shock too and congratulated me. I called my family friend who bought the ticket for me, and he was really happy too.”

For the self-employed Jenkins, “this is life changing.” She believes the win will provide opportunities and open doors toward a brighter future. She plans to invest in her business and further her education.

“It feels crazy to even hear the words ‘lottery winner,’” said Jenkins.

Like with Jenkins, it's not uncommon for lotto tickets to go unchecked. Currently, there's a six-figure Lotto Max prize that still remains unclaimed as its April 1 deadline approaches.

Tools to stop gambling

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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