VANCOUVER - A train conductor from Surrey is not quitting his day job after winning $500,000 in a Daily Grand draw earlier this month.
Nelson Botelho matched all five numbers in the Oct. 21 Daily Grand draw, but missed out on the sixth number that would have qualified him for the grand prize of $1,000 a day for life.
Instead, Botelho won the secondary prize of $25,000 a year for life, but opted for a one-time, lump sum payment of $500,000 instead.
In a news release from BCLC, Botelho said he plans to use the money to pay off his mortgage and take a trip to Portugal with his family.
“I’ve always dreamed of being able to take my kids to the town that my parents grew up in," he said.
While he's not going to stop working, he suggested his winnings will make it easier for him to retire early if he wants.
"I get to spend my day working with trains, doing what I love,” Botelho said. “Winning a half million dollars certainly makes it easier to pursue ‘Freedom 55’, though.”
