Loyalty pays off in big way for lotto winner from Mississauga

Being loyal has paid off in a big way for Mississauga’s Yan Liu.

The sales professional and father of one, described by Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) officials as “a loyal lottery player” with OLG for more than 20 years, recently collected $500,000 courtesy of a second-prize win in the April 21 Daily Grand draw.

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Liu’s ticket matched all five main winning numbers to earn for him a prize of $25,000 a year for life, the OLG said in a news release, adding the lucky winner opted instead for a lump sum payment of half-a-million dollars.

“After the draw, I checked the winning numbers on my phone and realized my ticket was a match,” Liu recalled while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to collect his windfall. “I also received an email from OLG confirming I was a winner. I was so surprised.”

The Mississauga man said he’s been playing Daily Grand, Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 tickets weekly for two-plus decades and always uses his own set of numbers.

After his big win, the first time he’s collected a large cash prize, Liu said he called his family members to share the incredible news.

“At first, my sister thought I was joking,” he said with a chuckle. “When she realized I was being serious, she got very excited and congratulated me.”

With his winnings, Liu told OLG officials he plans to share with family, buy a new car and take a “well-deserved” vacation.

“I’ve been playing the lottery for 20 years and never expected to win such a large amount,” he added. “Being a winner feels amazing.”

Top prize in Daily Grand is $1,000 a day for life if the ticket matches all five main numbers plus the “Grand Number,” the OLG said.

The winning ticket was purchased online at OLG.ca.