Forgotten lotto ticket leads to $25,000 every year for life for Brampton man

Buying his first-ever lottery ticket led to a prize of $25,000 every year for life for a Brampton man who says he plans to give back to his family.

Paras Salhotra is a 23-year-old living in Brampton and a brand-new lottery player, buying his first tickets for Daily Grand and Lotto Max.

Salhotra said he’d forgotten about the purchase for days until he got an email from the OLG saying he’d won a prize.

“That’s when I saw that I’d won $25,000 a year for life,” he said after checking his Daily Grand ticker on the OLG app. “I couldn’t believe it. I had to take the day off from work.”

“It took a few days before I called my parents to share the incredible news. I’m good at keeping a secret,” Paras smiled.

Salhotra said he’s only told a few family members about the win, with some thinking he might have been the victim of a scam. But now that he has the first of his winnings, he’s going to spread the news.

“I have yet to tell my sisters about my win. It will be a great surprise,” he said while picking up his prize at the OLG prize centre in Toronto.

He said the win is “an amazing opportunity, and one that comes with a lot of responsibility.”

“Once I receive my permanent residency, I’d like to invest in a business. I’ve always dreamed of opening a small café or bistro,” he said, adding that he hopes to help his sister become a nurse practitioner, and fly his parents to Canada for a visit.

“It’s now my time to take care of them,” he said.

Daily Grand is a national lottery game with a top prize of $1,000 a day for life and a second prize of $25,000 a year for life. The OLG says it supports safe play and responsible gambling through its PlaySmart program.

The winning ticket was purchased on OLG.ca.