Fredericton woman wins $675,000 after nearly missing out on prize

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Kim Campbell thought she had only won $4 on five Set for Life Scratch ‘N Win tickets she recently bought on her way to work. Then she double-checked the tickets on her phone and it changed her life.

The Fredericton woman ended up winning the top prize of $675,000 after scanning the first ticket and realizing she had originally forgotten to scratch a box on the game. The scan came up with a message saying “major winner, see retailer.”

“I just started shaking, it was extremely overwhelming,” Campbell said Tuesday in a news release.

“It truly hasn’t sunk in yet at all, I’ve just been walking around in a daze. It’s so exciting.”

Campbell said she always checks her lotto tickets with the Atlantic Lottery Corporation’s mobile ticket scanner to get additional prize entries. When she scratched the final game, she saw three Set for Life symbols staring back at her, meaning she had earned the grand prize.

Atlantic Lotto’s Set for Life is a $4 Scratch ‘N Win ticket that offers two payout options for the top prize. Winners can receive $1,000 a week for 25 years or a lump-sum payment of $675,000. Campbell opted for the latter.

Campbell said she plans to spend her winnings to help her family, buy a new car, and plan a family vacation. She’s also going to save most of her money for the future so she can retire in her early 60s. In the meantime, she plans to reduce her work schedule to four days a week instead of five.

“I’m so fortunate,” she said. “My son and his girlfriend are expecting a baby in July so it’s just really good timing.”

Campbell said she’s always been a casual lottery player, often going weeks without buying tickets. She said she doesn’t plan to keep playing after her big win and wants others to have the same opportunity.

Campbell’s winning ticket was bought at Sam’s Ultramar on Canada Street in Fredericton. The seller will receive a one-per-cent seller’s prize.