Canadian Teenager Wins $36m With First Lotto Ticket

A Canadian teenager has made history after purchasing her first lotto ticket and winning C$48m ($36m).

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLGC) confirmed 18-year-old Juliette Lamour of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, as the winner on Friday, making her the youngest individual to win an eight-figure sum.

Lamour, who purchased the ticket on her 18th birthday at her grandfather’s advice, stated that she had forgotten about it until she learned that someone from her hometown had won the 7 January drawing.

“I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy a lottery ticket for fun,” she told Global News.

She continued, “When I went to the store, I didn’t know what to ask for because I’d never purchased a lottery ticket before, so I called my father, who advised me to purchase a Lotto 6-49 quick pick.

“I still can’t believe my very first lottery ticket won the gold ball jackpot.”

While there have been other 18-year-old lottery winners in Canada in recent years, no one has won as much as Juliette, according to the OLGC.

The college student went on to recount how she learned the news at work and how her coworker “fell to his knees in disbelief.” Despite being told she could leave work early, her mother demanded she complete her shift.

Lamour stated that she intended to invest the most of her gains with the assistance of her financial adviser father. She expressed a desire to return to northern Ontario to continue studying to become a physician so that she can practice medicine and give back to her community.