Lotto 6/49 jackpot: Friends win $5,000,933 after man dreams of the winning numbers decades ago
A pair of friends have big plans to make their retirements even sweeter after trusting one man's dream
A dream from the 1990s has come to life, helping a pair of retired friends from the Ottawa-Gatineau area win a massive jackpot.
German Ouellette and Marc Lafleur are now splitting $5,000,933.40. It comes after matching all six numbers on the Lotto 6/49 Classic Jackpot for $5M on Feb. 4, to go along with an additional selection on another play that netted them an extra $933.40.
"Back in the ‘90s, I had a dream that these numbers were the winning numbers, and I woke up and wrote them down,” said Lafleur of Gatineau, Que., to OLG, according to a news release.
“I was watching the news and I saw my winning numbers on the screen. I recognized them because I had them memorized. I instantly stood up in shock and thought, 'I hope Germain bought this ticket!’”
Holding on to the digits — 11, 13, 29, 31, 42, 47 — turned out to be the right move for the two pals, who have been playing together for 20 years.
"I found out around the same time. I checked my email and saw one from OLG that said I won a big prize. My jaw dropped," said Ouellette, from Vanier, Ont. "I texted Marc and told him we won $5 million!"
The duo had already streamlined their lottery-buying process with Ouellette buying their lottery tickets using a subscription online with the same numbers every time.
“I’m so glad I was persistent playing the same numbers. My dream literally came true three decades later,” said Lafleur. “I am speechless. It's crazy that this happened," Ouellette added.
Retirement is about to get really exciting for this duo. Germain plans to travel to Europe and invest, while Lafleur plans to purchase a new car, invest and take a trip to Paris.
"I've always wanted to go there," said Lafleur with a smile.
Tools to stop gambling
If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.