A Group Of Electricians Became Ontario Lottery Winners After Playing Together For 8 Months

A group electricians became Ontario lottery winners over the holidays after scoring $1 million in the December 17, 2022, Lotto 6/49 draw.

The group members were listed by OLG as follows:

• "Tomasz Polanowski of Etobicoke
• Damien Miller of Oshawa
• Daniel Markovic of Burlington
• Giovanni Serrao of Woodbridge
• Gregory Stauch of Toronto
• John Veshovski of Brampton
• Michael Gavros of Richmond Hill
• Michael Louie of Toronto
• Michael Rossl of Everett
• Nuno Costa of Etobicoke
• Ryan Kanhai of Whitby
• Thomas Price of Mississauga"

The colleagues, who'd only been playing together for eight months when they hit the jackpot, opened up about moment they realized they'd won.

"I checked the ticket on the OLG App and when I saw the $1 million prize amount, I was so excited, I couldn't believe it," Polanowski said while at the company's prize centre in Toronto.

"Johnny is the first one I called to share the news," he added.

"He called me and sent a screen shot of the win. I thought, 'Yep, that's $1 million,'" John recalled. "It feels fantastic! There's no other way to describe it."

No one likes taking a work call on the weekend, but it helps when the person ringing you up has fantastic news.

"I was wondering why he was calling me on a Sunday, but I was very excited to hear the news," Michael Gavros joked. "I almost didn't pick up the phone!"

As for immediate plans, the group revealed that a few of them are investing their winnings, but most have their eyes on upgrading their homes and travelling.

"I might go on a vacation somewhere warm," Kanhai smiled.

"I will use this toward my trip to Egypt," Price concluded.

If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.