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[h1]Hamilton woman loses ticket, but wins big — $50 million big[/h1][h2]Kathryn Jones had no idea she was a multimillionaire until the OLG tracked her down and knocked on her door[/h2]
[h2]VIDEO: Happy winners[/h2]
Winner lost her ticket and didn’t know she’d won until OLG knocked on her door.
[h2]HAPPY WINNERS[/h2]Carmela fragomeni,The Hamilton Spectator
Kathryn Jones and her husband, Richard, had plenty to smile about Tuesday and they were named the winners of a $50 million Lotto Max prize.
Ontario's newest $50-million lottery winner not only lost the winning ticket, she'd forgotten all about it until investigators from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation came knocking at her door.
Kathryn Jones of Hamilton were presented at a news conference at the OLG headquarters in Toronto Tuesday.It's the first time OLG officials have ever had to track down grand prize winners.
Jones said when the OLG investigators first came knocking, she didn't want to let them in. They showed her their identification and convinced her they were the real deal.
Even then, she said, "I honestly thought 'you've got the wrong person.'"
The officials asked her about her buying pattern for Lotto tickets and whether she still had her ticket, as well as a few other questions, until she had to rush out the door to catch a plane for a business trip. It wasn't until the next day she learned from her husband, Richard, that they might be looking at a $50-million unclaimed prize. The ticket had been bought at a Shoppers Drug Mart on Dundas Street in Cambridge, where she works as an engineer.
"I kept thinking this is unreal. It must be a mistake," said Jones, 55.
She still doesn't know where the ticket is, even though she has since searched her house thoroughly. "It's not there."
OLG officials say they ended up finding her after investigating someone else's claim for the $50 million prize. That months-long investigation led them to Jones, who they decided had purchased the winning ticket based on store surveillance tapes, Jones's credit card records, and OLG's own internal accounting and tracking systems.
The store's video surveillance, for example, shows Jones buying the ticket at the precise time and location the winning ticket was purchased. Her credit card records matched the purchase as well.
Had she paid for the ticket by cash, the OLG might not have found her, said Mike Hamel, head of the OLG's corporate investigations. Because she paid by credit card, "it made it a lot easier" to find her, he said.
Officials say they had 435 other inquiries about the unclaimed Nov. 30, 2012, Lotto Max prize.
The final decision also waited for an independent review because Jones's sister owns a retail outlet in Ottawa that sells OLG lottery tickets and officials needed to rule out the possibility of some kind of fraud.
On Thursday, Nov. 28, lottery officials notified Jones she is indeed the winner.
Jones is still in disbelief and said she hasn't thought about what she might do with the money or if she'll quit her job.
Husband Richard, also an engineer, said "It's been a great story … who would have thought? It's only been the last few days we've known for sure."
Kathy Jones said the couple told their two grown children — both in university — about the win on the weekend . "My son gave me a lecture on being responsible." But other than that, he's more concerned about getting through exams right now, she said.
Jones said she buys lottery tickets randomly and usually pays cash.
She said she is "extremely appreciative and very thankful" of the OLG investigation. "It's incredible."
She also said the family would like to live life as normally as possible over the next month and through the Christmas holidays. Officials say she will receive her winnings following the standard 30 day waiting period.
When asked if there's something about Hamilton that produces as many lottery winners as it has lately, Rod Phillips, OLG's president and CEO, joked "We've been wondering that ourselves. Must be the clean living … I think they're just lucky."
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4251831-hamilton-woman-wins-50-million-jackpot-with-lost-ticket/
[h2]VIDEO: Happy winners[/h2]
Winner lost her ticket and didn’t know she’d won until OLG knocked on her door.
[h2]HAPPY WINNERS[/h2]Carmela fragomeni,The Hamilton Spectator
Kathryn Jones and her husband, Richard, had plenty to smile about Tuesday and they were named the winners of a $50 million Lotto Max prize.
Ontario's newest $50-million lottery winner not only lost the winning ticket, she'd forgotten all about it until investigators from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation came knocking at her door.
Kathryn Jones of Hamilton were presented at a news conference at the OLG headquarters in Toronto Tuesday.It's the first time OLG officials have ever had to track down grand prize winners.
Jones said when the OLG investigators first came knocking, she didn't want to let them in. They showed her their identification and convinced her they were the real deal.
Even then, she said, "I honestly thought 'you've got the wrong person.'"
The officials asked her about her buying pattern for Lotto tickets and whether she still had her ticket, as well as a few other questions, until she had to rush out the door to catch a plane for a business trip. It wasn't until the next day she learned from her husband, Richard, that they might be looking at a $50-million unclaimed prize. The ticket had been bought at a Shoppers Drug Mart on Dundas Street in Cambridge, where she works as an engineer.
"I kept thinking this is unreal. It must be a mistake," said Jones, 55.
She still doesn't know where the ticket is, even though she has since searched her house thoroughly. "It's not there."
OLG officials say they ended up finding her after investigating someone else's claim for the $50 million prize. That months-long investigation led them to Jones, who they decided had purchased the winning ticket based on store surveillance tapes, Jones's credit card records, and OLG's own internal accounting and tracking systems.
The store's video surveillance, for example, shows Jones buying the ticket at the precise time and location the winning ticket was purchased. Her credit card records matched the purchase as well.
Had she paid for the ticket by cash, the OLG might not have found her, said Mike Hamel, head of the OLG's corporate investigations. Because she paid by credit card, "it made it a lot easier" to find her, he said.
Officials say they had 435 other inquiries about the unclaimed Nov. 30, 2012, Lotto Max prize.
The final decision also waited for an independent review because Jones's sister owns a retail outlet in Ottawa that sells OLG lottery tickets and officials needed to rule out the possibility of some kind of fraud.
On Thursday, Nov. 28, lottery officials notified Jones she is indeed the winner.
Jones is still in disbelief and said she hasn't thought about what she might do with the money or if she'll quit her job.
Husband Richard, also an engineer, said "It's been a great story … who would have thought? It's only been the last few days we've known for sure."
Kathy Jones said the couple told their two grown children — both in university — about the win on the weekend . "My son gave me a lecture on being responsible." But other than that, he's more concerned about getting through exams right now, she said.
Jones said she buys lottery tickets randomly and usually pays cash.
She said she is "extremely appreciative and very thankful" of the OLG investigation. "It's incredible."
She also said the family would like to live life as normally as possible over the next month and through the Christmas holidays. Officials say she will receive her winnings following the standard 30 day waiting period.
When asked if there's something about Hamilton that produces as many lottery winners as it has lately, Rod Phillips, OLG's president and CEO, joked "We've been wondering that ourselves. Must be the clean living … I think they're just lucky."
http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4251831-hamilton-woman-wins-50-million-jackpot-with-lost-ticket/
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