LOTTO TOTO: PETALING JAYA- Seven lucky Toto punters take home RM33.69 mil in winnings

PETALING JAYA: Even in this time of doom and gloom, there is reason to celebrate, at least for a handful of Malaysians. Since Sports Toto Malaysia Sdn Bhd resumed operations on June 17, a total of RM 33.69 million has been paid out in winnings.

The luckiest of the lot, a 46-year-old farmer from Sabah, took home the lion’s share of the jackpot — a whopping RM19.88 million. The farmer picked the registration numbers of several cars he often spotted in his neighbourhood. “I used to see the same registration number on different cars, so I thought this might be a hint that I would strike the lottery,” he told Sports Toto when he finally made it to collect his prize.

He had to wait up to a month because he could not afford a flight ticket. “I struggled to make ends meet. I had to work odd jobs to earn the extra money to pay for the flight,” he said. He also decided not to borrow the money from friends or relatives because he wanted to keep his windfall a secret.

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In a statement issued yesterday, Sports Toto said another big winner is a 48-year-old who runs a car workshop in Negri Sembilan. He won RM6.66 million on the Star Toto 6/50 Jackpot 1. The windfall comes as a big relief for him. “My business has been badly affected by the movement control order. I can now pay off my debts,” he said.

Another big winner is an 85-year-old retiree from Sarawak, who took home RM3.4 million. He had punted on the Toto 4D Jackpot 1 on 25 July 2020 by betting on his favourite numbers – 4007 and 1836. “I have been punting on Sports Toto all my life and this is the only time I have won big,” he said.

The winner plans to help his children expand their family business with the new-found wealth. The remaining RM3.75 million was share among four punters who had bought their tickets through the i-System. Two are from Johor and one each from Pahang and Kuala Lumpur.