Two Toronto residents have won more than $44 million on Lotto Max after playing a ticket that listed family birthdays.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), said in a statement Tuesday that Elizabeth Lumbo and Arlene Lumbo, former spouses and now best friends, won the July 20 draw.
They won a total of $44,023,273.40 and each received an equal share of $22,011,636.
The OLG said Elizabeth started using the numbers on the winning ticket when the pandemic began. They were selected by her daughter, who used family birthdates to come up with the seven winning numbers.
Elizabeth checked her ticket when she was out running errands.
“I heard the jingle play on the ticket checker and when I looked at the screen, I told the clerk something was wrong with the machine,” she said in the OLG statement.
“I handed him my ticket to scan, and he told me I won the jackpot. When I realized we won $44 million, tears started running down my cheeks.”
She said her children didn’t believe the news at first so she had to send them a picture of the ticket.
The OLG said they now plan to find a property where Elizabeth, Arlene and their children can live in their own homes but close together.
Elizabeth plans to continue working as a customer service representative for a few more years until retirement and then travel the world when the pandemic is over, the OLG said.
She said she plans to continue playing Lotto Max.