LUCK was on the side of a Trelawny-born woman, who, after less than six months she started buying tickets in the regional Super Lotto, won $180 million in the May 11 jackpot.
The delighted woman, identified only as N Gray and wearing a clown mask, was presented with her big prize during a press briefing staged by Supreme Ventures Limited (SVL) at the Spanish Court Hotel in New Kingston.
The Jamaica Observer sought to learn more about Gray’s background, but the information was limited to protect her identity as she shared the rich moment with the SVL staff and media representatives.
It could be ascertained, however, that Gray, who has a job and has children, lives in St James where she bought her ticket. She said that it was her son who confirmed the winning by checking the numbers on the SVL website after the draw.
Gray told the Observer that she bought two sets of numbers she had been “banking on”. She said that she had turned to playing the games in order to help meet her debts and bills, and was always confident she would eventually win the big prize.
“My friends always told me to keep buying and that I would win because I was always coming close, getting four numbers, so I felt confident that I would eventually find all six numbers.”
SVL said Gray is the second consecutive Super Lotto winner from Jamaica and, coincidentally, the second winner in a row with roots in Trelawny.
In June last year, a 76-year-old retired parish council worker from Trelawny took home a Super Lotto cheque for $117 million for winning a share of the June 16 jackpot.
That winner, identified as W Gordon from Falmouth, claimed that he was a devout Methodist. Gray was not allowed to say where exactly she is from or whether she was Christian, but she considered a herself a normal working woman, who was living a “comfy” life, but needed to deal with her debts.
“I have loans at the bank and now I can clear them off. I can clear off my credit card and make some little changes: I can’t be unhappy,” she said.
Gray has no intention of leaving her current employment, which was not revealed, but she plans to invest and enjoy a cruise around the Caribbean.
SVL, in a release, said that the company made a public announcement on May 12, asking that the Super Lotto winner holding the ticket with numbers # 6,11,19,26, 31, with Super Ball 10, which was purchased from the Medfair Pharmacy in Montego Bay, St James, to come forward.
Gray, who had randomly picked the numbers just three hours before the draw, decided to ask her son to check her two tickets right after the live draw on Saturday, May 11.
“I was watching TV and the ad came on that someone won the Super Lotto from Jamaica. So, I went for my ticket and told my son to go on the Supreme Ventures website and he started reading the numbers. He said six, and I said ‘yeah’, super ball 10 and I said, ‘yeah’, and he said ‘you win it!’,” Gray was quoted in a release issued by SVL.
Gray won $180 million of the total jackpot of $301 million because she had purchased a $200 ticket. Super Lotto full tickets are sold for $300 each.
Article Link: http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/super-lotto-winner-will-keep-job-and-take-a-caribbean-cruise_135169?profile=1373
