Calgarian calls into work “rich” with $66M LOTTO 6/49 win!
“My boss asked if I could come in to work; I said: ‘NO!’”
James Jutzi won $2 on a LOTTO MAX ticket and decided to put it towards a LOTTO 6/49 ticket. What he didn’t know was that toonie would change his life.
His ticket for the June 15 LOTTO 6/49 draw won him the top prize—a Western Canada record-breaking $66 million Gold Ball Jackpot!
The first person he called? His boss.
“He thought I was lying,” Jutzi laughed. “He asked if I could come in to work. I said: ‘No!’”
“I’ve been working as a handyman since I was a kid. When I found out I’d won I said, ‘That’s it! No more work!’”
Jutzi said he took his ticket to check it in-store. “I always go to the same place, and they know me by name now,” Jutzi explained. “When the win came up, it was a lot of zeroes and I had to really look. I went right up to the counter and the cashier’s eyes went so wide.”
“His eyes almost popped out of his head,” chuckled the Calgary winner. “He was more surprised than me!”
Jutzi said after a life of hard work, he is finally ready for some rest and relaxation. “It’s a lot to digest, but I know I deserve a vacation, and I’m so excited,” he said.
And he has already decided on his first purchase. “I’ve bought my mom an Escalade,” he said. “I also heard Cadillac is making a truck that I may have my eye on!”
After treating his mom and upgrading his own ride, Jutzi said he has his sights set on buying some property close to home.
“I’m originally from Ontario,” he said. “But I consider myself an Albertan and I love this province.”
Jutzi said overall, he’s excited to start a new chapter. He said his win is quite literally a dream come true for him.
“I had four dreams back-to-back in the 80s about winning the lottery. I couldn’t see the amount, but I remember holding the cheque,” he chuckled. “I’m so grateful that this has happened. It’s wild because I remember those dreams so well.”
Jutzi purchased his LOTTO 6/49 ticket from 7-Eleven at 3550 32 Avenue NE in Calgary. He won his prize in the Gold Ball draw on June 15, with the selection 25057749-01, a gold ball.
