'Unbelievable!' Ont. man wins big over holidays, plans to build his dream home
Eric Vartiamaki, of Aurora, Ont., won $100,000 in the Dec. 24, 2023, Daily Keno Encore draw. (Source: OLG)
The holiday season was a little merrier for Eric Vartiamaki, who struck it big in the December 24 Daily Keno draw.
The Aurora man matched the last six of seven Encore numbers in exact order with the ticket he purchased at the Ultramar on the Run on Leslie Street, securing a festive windfall of $100,000.
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Vartiamaki said he plays the lottery regularly and never misses a chance to say yes to Encore.
"I was sitting at my desk checking the winning numbers online when I saw there was a ticket that won Encore. I compared my Encore numbers and saw I was the winner. It was unbelievable. I was convinced it wasn't real," he recalled.
Vartiamaki was so shocked by his win that he has yet to share the news.
"It was too unbelievable for me to believe myself," he admitted.
He plans to put his winnings to good use and purchase land to build his own home.
"This has been a dream of mine for so long," he concluded.
Encore offers nearly two dozen ways to win and can be played with most lottery games for just $1. Encore draws happen daily.
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