'I better get half!': Ontario father wins major Lotto Max prize

A 46-year-old man from the Greater Toronto Area initially thought he won $243 after entering a Lotto Max draw before realizing his prize was actually worth hundreds of thousands of dollars.

Steven Tripp of Richmond Hill, Ont., has won smaller prizes in the past, but this $243,397.30 prize is his largest yet.

When he went to check his lottery ticket on the OLG App, he said he

“I was in disbelief and initially thought I had won $243!” Tripp said at the OLG Prize Centre, as he was picking up his earnings. “That number slowly grew as I stared at it longer. It was such a surreal moment!”

Tripp shared the news with his wife and daughter, who he says were both “extremely happy” and shocked for him.

“My daughter said ‘Dad, I better get half!’” Tripp laughed.

Tripp says he will use his prize money to manage his finances.

“It’s a good feeling,” he said.

The winning ticket of Lotto Max’s second prize for the July 11 draw was bought from Scott’s Store on Lake Street in Picton, Ont.