St. Catharines man wakes up to $50,000 lottory win

Nothing like a big pay day to jolt you awake.

Antonios Avoujageli of St. Catharines admits he was half asleep when he decided to check his Daily Keno 8 pick the morning after the May 22, 2024 draw and discovered he had won $50,000.

“I checked my tickets on OLG.ca the day after the draw and I saw my lucky numbers. I couldn’t believe it,” said the 50-year-old landscaper while cashing in his winning ticket at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto. “I wasn’t even fully awake yet, so I had to triple check.

“I actually pinched myself.”

Avoujageli says he has been playing the lottery since 2011.

“This is my first big win,” he said.

Avoujageli called his sister on the pone to tell her the good news.

“She thought I was pulling her leg, as siblings do,” he said.

As for what he’ll do with his winnings, Avoujageli plans to pay off some bills and save the rest.

I am so thankful,” he said.

Avoujageli purchased his winning Daily Keno ticket at Avondale on Carlton Street in St. Catharines.