TORONTO, ON – Sheri McIlveen of Kitchener is $350,000 richer after winning a top prize with INSTANT BANCO (Game #2516).

Sheri, a married mother of one, has been playing the lottery with OLG for about 30 years. She enjoys playing INSTANT tickets as part of her weekly routine. Now, she’s thrilled to share the news of her first big win.

“I love how the lottery is always changing, and I’m a sucker for a new game,” Sheri said while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim her winnings. “Anytime I see a new game come out, I like to give it a try. I asked the store owner for the new INSTANT BANCO ticket. He opened up a new pack of tickets right in front of me and handed me the first one. Something just didn’t feel right to me, so I asked for the third one instead.”

The 52-year-old, who works as a cleaner, said she went home, made a cup of coffee, and got comfy on her sofa so she could play her ticket. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing and thought my eyes were playing tricks on me,” she recalled. “I nudged my husband, who was sitting beside me, and said, ‘Look at this. I can’t see it.’ His eyes got wide and he shouted, ‘Baby, you won big!’ The next thing I knew, I was in the air on his shoulder.”

Sheri said she was in so much shock that she couldn’t speak. “I thought to myself, ‘This can’t be real. I must be dreaming!’ Winning the lottery is a dream I’ve always had, and now it’s come true!”

With her windfall, Sheri plans to pay off bills, invest, and have some fun. “This feels pretty fantastic,” she concluded with a smile.

INSTANT BANCO is available for $20 a play and the top prize is $350,000. Odds of winning any prize are 1 in 3.89. Visit the INSTANT page on OLG.ca for more information on this and other great games.

The winning ticket was purchased at Quickie on Huron Road in Kitchener.

OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game. That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with our globally recognized PlaySmart program.

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Celebrating 50 years of wins and giving back! OLG is a crown agency that contributes to a better Ontario by delivering great entertainment experiences for our customers. Acting in a socially responsible way, OLG conducts and manages land-based gaming facilities; the sale of province-wide lottery games; Internet gaming; and the delivery of bingo and other electronic gaming products at Charitable Gaming Centres. OLG is also helping support the horse racing industry in Ontario. OLG has been giving back to Ontario since 1975, generating approximately $62 billion for the people and the Province to support key government priorities like health care; the treatment and prevention of problem gambling; and support for amateur athletes. Each year profits from OLG's operations also support host communities, Ontario First Nations, lottery retailers and local charities across the province.

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