Ontario man won lie enhancing $1 million lottery prize

Thirty-nine-year-old Richard Browning is a Newmarket, Ontario resident who works as a skilled trade worker.

He said that he’s been playing the lottery regularly for 20 years and decided to splurge on a $100 lottery ticket.

“This was my first time playing a high-value Instant game,” he said.

“I saw a commercial saying this game has the best odds to win $1 million.”

After the Instant Ultimate draw on December 31, 2022, Browning went to the store to see if he won anything.

“I was at the store when I checked my ticket and saw ‘Big Winner’ — it felt surreal,” he said, after discovering that he had won one of the top prizes and was now $1 million richer.

But as he processed this news, Browning stuck to his regular routine.

“I carried on with my day thinking it wasn’t real and there must have been a mistake,” he said.

“I didn’t tell anyone because I knew no one would believe me,” Browning says that this windfall feels like freedom.

“I work a very physical job and now I have the room to focus on the more important things in life — like my family,” he said

. And he has several plans with his winnings, including paying down his mortgage and completing some work around the house.

“I will be more present with my family,” he said.

“I look forward to visiting family across the country and being the fun uncle at all my niece's and nephews' birthday parties.”