Welland man thought he won $800 on lottery when it was actually over $206,000

A Welland retiree saw his nest-egg grow that much larger when what he thought was an $800 lottery win turned out to actually be $206,832.30.

John Martin, who collected  a LOTTO 6/49 second prize in the Jan. 18 LOTTO 6/49 draw, says he plays the lottery twice a week.

“I check my numbers every Thursday morning. At first, I thought I won about $800 but when I noticed I had matched the bonus number, that’s when I realized I won $206,832.30,” he shared while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings.

“I got dressed right away and went to verify my ticket at the store.”

“My wife is so happy. We talked about all the things we could do with this money. I told my kids over the phone, and they were so excited,” John smiled.

He plans to share with his children, buy a hot tub and a new car, and take a trip to the Dominican Republic.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” John concluded.

The winning ticket was purchased at Avondale on Niagara Street in Welland.