Lotto 6/49 Player Continues Shopping After $16 Million Win
A Lotto 6/49 player from Calgary, Canada, has revealed he continued shopping for groceries after finding out he had hit the CA$16.3 million jackpot. 38-year-old Alfonso Buonomo landed the sensational eight-figure windfall last month, but didn’t let his win deter him from completing his outstanding shopping.
“I Want to Be Smart, Learn How to Invest Properly”
He was the only player to match all six numbers – 13, 18, 19, 36, 37 and 43 – in the draw on 2nd January, taking home the eight-figure windfall for himself, although there were 77 ticket holders who matched five of the six main numbers on the night to get within a whisker of receiving a share of the jackpot for themselves. The jackpot, which automatically resets to CA$5 million following a Match 6 win, had been steadily building for four draws prior to Buonomo’s big win.
The Calgary-based player bought his CA$4 ticket for the winning draw from the Creekside Co-Op gas bar on Valley Road, and returned to the same gas station last month to check his winning numbers. He said: “I actually thought the prize amount was a bar code number when I first scanned the ticket.” In spite of realising he was now a multi-millionaire, Buonomo continued shopping, which is what he had initially planned to do. “I have a lot to learn about how to manage this much money. I want to be smart, learn how to invest it properly and let it snowball. This is a fresh start for us,” he added.
Buonomo’s win is the biggest Lotto 6/49 prize to be won in Calgary for six years, dating back to the CA$40 million jackpot won in 2013. He plans to continue working, and says he won’t change too much as a person despite his new-found wealth, although he stated a desire to pay off his mortgage. He’s turned down the suggestion from his brother-in-law to buy a Lamborghini car, stating: “I’d be happy with a new motorcycle and a second vehicle.”
How Does Lotto 6/49 Work?
Lotto 6/49 has become one of the biggest lotteries on offer in Canada since launching in 1982. Draws are held twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and you can enter by picking six main numbers between 1 and 49. Prizes begin from matching just two main numbers, and major changes were made to the game in September 2013, with the introduction of a guaranteed minimum jackpot worth CA$5 million, a Free Play prize and a guaranteed prize of CA$1 million for a player in every draw.
You can enter this Saturday’s draw for CA$5 million from authorised retailers throughout Canada, or play online from various locations around the world.