BROTHERS split $13,259,890 lotto 6/49 jackpot

How awesome is this!!! James Holbeck and Robert Holbeck of London won the $13,259,890 LOTTO 6/49 jackpot from the March 12, 2016 draw.

“My first reaction was Holy … Macaroni and then a few other colourful words,” joked Jim who checked the ticket at home first then went straight to a ticket-checker just to be sure. “I thought I saw $13,259. I grabbed the ticket and went next door for a coffee and to quietly check the numbers again. One by one they matched up,” he recalled.

Jim immediately called a close friend, “Just listen. Don’t talk. Rob and I won the jackpot and I’m not joking.” Family and friends arrived at the coffee shop a short time later, triple-checked the ticket and then laughed, cried and celebrated together.

The Holbeck brothers already have plans for their windfall. “The money is security and peace of mind for me,” smiled Jim. “I intend to spoil the people I love.”

Rob feels the same way. The husband, father and grandfather beamed, “I’ve been married 25 years and my wife Sylvia deserves the honeymoon we never had. Our dream is to go to Europe.”

Since LOTTO 6/49 was launched in June 1982, there has been a total of 3,354 LOTTO 6/49 draws with Ontario players having won more than $11.1 billion in prizes, including 1,319 jackpot wins. There have been 294 Guaranteed $1 Million Prize draws to date. One hundred and twenty six of the winning tickets have been sold in Ontario. For more information, please visit olg.ca and click on Lotteries.