Hamilton man wins $30M Lotto Max jackpot
Posted September 16, 2013 1:07 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
A 35-year-old Hamilton man has moved up his retirement after winning a $30-million Lotto Max jackpot.
“On the Tuesday morning following the draw, I called my boss and retired,” former auto industry worker Nick Takticos said in a statement.
“The next day I went into work and made an announcement before the shift began to let all my co-workers know about my big win. They were all so congratulatory and happy for me!”
Takticos picked up his cheque from the Aug. 30 draw on Monday.
He said he checked his numbers after returning home at 4:20 a.m. from an overnight shift. He said he scratched a few instant win tickets and then looked at his numbers online.
“I saw that the last line of my ticket had four matching numbers. I got up at that point, thinking ‘I’m so close, which of the next numbers will not match.’” Then I checked the next two numbers and they matched too! I got up again and paced around, until finally I checked the last number. It matched and I was a winner, but I didn’t even know what the jackpot was worth!”
Takticos, who is single, then called his mother.
“I asked her, ‘Are you awake? Are you lying down?’ And when I told her we won, she didn’t believe me. She came over right away with coffee and finally believed me when she saw the ticket for herself.”
Takticos has no immediate plans for his winnings, though he calls the money a “family blessing.”
While he said he may take some time to consider his plans, football could be in his future.
“I’m a huge Hamilton Tiger Cats fan – I go to almost every game. Though now maybe I’ll get season’s tickets, or even better, a private box!”
One thing he won’t be doing: playing the lottery.
“I’ve cashed in on all my luck. It’s time for someone else to win,” Takticos said.
Next week’s Lotto Max jackpot is an estimated $10 million.
To check the winning numbers, visit the OLG website.
