SASKATOON — A Saskatoon man who traded in snacks for lottery tickets has picked up a $5 million cheque for being the sole winner of a Lotto 649 draw last summer.
Curtis Mooney jokingly told reporters on Monday that he is 45 and single — "but not for long."
People in Saskatoon, including Mooney's father, had been wondering about the identity of the mystery millionaire who hit it big on the Aug. 31 draw.
Mooney admits it takes him a long time to check his tickets and it wasn't until Dec. 30 that his dad started bugging him to look into it.
Mooney says he didn't bother because he didn't think it was possible, but on New Year's Eve his father couldn't stand it anymore and finally came to his house and insisted they look up the winning number on the computer.
He says he started buying lottery tickets after his father encouraged him to put money he’d otherwise use for snacks towards something bigger.
“For years I thought, ‘Okay, I could’ve walked away with a bag of Doritos, but I got this lottery ticket instead,’” he says.
Mooney he doesn’t anticipate any major changes to his life now that he’s a millionaire, adding he’s a “low-key guy.”
“It’s still a little overwhelming, so I haven’t made any concrete plans – but anything is possible,” he says, adding there are a few people in his life who will share in his good fortune.
