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‘A lot of zeros’: Surrey bus driver wins $18.7M jackpot, plans an early retirement

Nang (Paul) Trinh was hosting a family dinner when he decided to check his Lotto 6/49 ticket
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Surrey bus driver Nang (Paul) Trinh is planning an early retirement after winning $18.7 million in the April 6 Lotto 6/49 draw. (Photo: BCLC)

A Surrey bus driver is planning an early retirement after winning $18.7 million in the April 6 Lotto 6/49 draw.

Nang (Paul) Trinh was hosting a family dinner when he decided to check his ticket, according to a release from the B.C. Lottery Corporation.

During a cheque presentation on Tuesday (April 12), Trinh said he didn’t check his ticket until the day after the draw. He said he “checked my phone once, twice” and on multiple phones just to be sure.

“I noticed there were a lot of zeros, so I asked my dad how much the jackpot was,” Trinh said. “He said it was $18.7 million. I checked it a bunch of times and then I realized I won.”

There was a lot of jumping, he noted.

It was earlier on Thursday that the BCLC put a call out that the winning ticket was bought in Surrey and was the only ticket purchased across Canada to match all six winning numbers: 2, 8, 9, 16, 39 and 49.

RELATED: Lotto 6/49 ticket bought in Surrey scores big with $18.7M jackpot, April 7, 2022

BCLC says the odds of winning a Lotto 6/49 jackpot are one-in-13,983,816.

The odds of matching five or six numbers are one-in-2,330,636.

Now, Trinh said he is planning to retire early and book vacations in Japan and China, while also looking forward to spending more time with his children – and playing more tennis.

He also plans to gift some of his prize money to family and will treat everyone to a celebratory meal.

However, Trinh said he doesn’t play very often except for when it’s a big jackpot.

“When it goes big, then I maybe start buying $10 (tickets), but this is the first time where I bought actually a $20 double dip. First time ever, and I won.”

This is the third time in the past five weeks a ticket purchased in the Lower Mainland has won the jackpot.

Uncle-nephew duo John and Travis Bonner from Chilliwack won the winning ticket from the March 9 Lotto 6/49 draw for $8 million, while Chau Ming Leung and her husband Yiu Fai Leung won $6 million from the March 16 draw.



lauren.collins@surreynowleader.com

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Lauren Collins

About the Author: Lauren Collins

I'm a provincial reporter for Black Press Media's national team, after my journalism career took me across B.C. since I was 19 years old.
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