London man, 70, wins Encore prize twice in single month

Friends and relatives of 70-year-old Clifford Reynolds may be forgiven for asking him to be their future good luck charm after the retired truck driver beat some staggering odds twice in one month.

Reynolds scored a $1 million payout after matching all seven winning Encore numbers in the April 5 Lotto 6-49 draw.

“I thought I won $100,000 and I was surprised. I was so happy,” Clifford said last month at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) Prize Centre in Toronto, according to a media release.

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Later that month, on a ticket purchased at the same store as the first, Clifford won an additional $10,000 through Encore in the April 26 Lotto 6-49 draw.

In a statement, Clifford said he first shared the good news with his 93-year-old aunt and then his brother, asking him ‘when would you like to go to Toronto?'”

“I told him I won but it wasn’t until we got closer to the Prize Centre that I said, ‘I won twice. The first ticket is worth $1 million and the second prize is $10,000,'” he said.

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According to the OLG, the odds of matching all seven Encore numbers is 1 in 10-million while the odds of matching the first six is 1 in 1.1-million. Less clear are the odds of winning two Encore prizes in the same month.

Clifford said he plans to use his winnings to take care of his aunt, set up a college fund for his nephews, and help his brother, his wife, and their two adult children.

“We are a close family. I’m hoping to take a trip to northern Ontario and I would love to visit New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I love fishing and I love Canada. I want to see more of it,” he said.