Northern Ontario miner grabs stacks of cash in lottery game

A miner from Wawa, Ont., decked out in a jumpsuit and safety glasses spent 30 seconds in the OLG Money Machine and won $85,000. Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp

A northern Ontario miner is celebrating his first big lottery win after an instant scratch ticket sent him to Toronto to play the new Instant Money Machine game.

James Firlotte, of Wawa, said he has been a regular lottery player for more than 25 years and likes to end his workday “relaxing with an instant ticket.”

“I grabbed a Money Machine ticket randomly, not really knowing the game,” Firlotte said in an Ontario Lottery and Gaming news release Wednesday.

“I wanted to try it because it was new.”

He played the ticket at The Bargain Shop on Broadway Avenue and watched animation on the lottery terminal screen land on the live event prize.

“I hardly knew what was going on! I was so surprised and excited that I began to shake,” Firlotte said.

To earn his prize, he had to travel to Toronto where he had 30 seconds in a closed capsule to grab as many bills as he could while they were blowing around him. Watch the video of him playing the game.

The final count revealed he won $85,000.

“I never imagined something like this would happen to me. This is awesome — just awesome. I’m trembling with excitement," Firlotte said.

“It was fast and exciting, and my adrenaline was pumping. Thirty seconds went by quicker than I thought.”

He plans to use his windfall to pay off his mortgage, help his family and treat himself to a seafood dinner with crab legs.

Creating new memories by travelling is also in his plans.

“I love nature and spend a lot of time in the bush,” he said.

“I want to see more of Canada — especially British Columbia. It’s been a dream of mine to see the giant Douglas fir trees and aqua-coloured lakes.”

The instant win prizes for the game range from $5 to$10,000 and the guaranteed prize for the live event is $25,000 to $100,000.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. has a resource called Play Smart with all the information players need to “make smart choices and keep the fun in the game.”

It also has information on problem gambling, including warning signs, how to help a loved one and where to get free support.

More stories on recent lottery winners:

• Ontario’s newest millionaire won $65M in lottery with ‘quick picks’
• Woman wins almost $550K in Sudbury hospital lottery in bittersweet moment
• Northern Ont. couple wins $2.5M Lotto 6/49 prize