Fort Frances resident Ted Scott doesn’t mind that he didn’t win last Thursday night’s record SuperStar Bingo progressive jackpot of more than $600,000.
After all, his consolation prize wasn’t too shabby.
Scott, a regular player at the Fort Frances Bingo Hall, won $49,615.86 on 50 numbers in the main prize of the SuperStar Bingo.
“Just $384.14 short of $50,000,” he said Friday morning.
“The card was fantastic,” Scott continued, noting he had dabbed all but three squares after just 31 numbers were called. Then it was a bit of a nerve-wracking wait.
“Then they called N-38 and B-13,” Scott said, then grinned. “I won on B-13, the most unlucky number.”
“He didn’t say anything [when he won]. He just kind of let out a big breath,” added Scott’s wife, Verla. “We’re still in shock.”
The fact the $600,000-plus progressive jackpot prize was won by someone playing in Sudbury on 47 numbers didn’t seem to diminish the Scotts’ enthusiasm over their win–an enthusiasm which quickly spread throughout the Bingo hall.
“Gloria Wood knew it, too, so she yelled, ‘That’s your number Ted!’” Scott said, adding his wife joined in by “hollering her head off.”
“He practically got a standing ovation,” remarked local Bingo hall operator Deidre Morneau. “He’s our fifth winner and our biggest winner. All the other ones have been splits with some other hall.”
To make it even sweeter, Scott said this wasn’t the first time he had come close to winning the SuperStar Bingo game. In fact, his wife said Scott has won the hall consolation prize nine times before striking it big.
“We joked about it so much,” she said. “I kept telling him, ‘Definitely, it’s your turn coming up soon.’”
Scott said he didn’t know what they’d use the money for although he said he and his wife will “probably figure that out” soon enough.
Their prize money is supposed to arrive from the Ontario Lottery Corp. some time this week. But Verla Scott said she already had plans for at least part of the windfall.
“Our neighbour asked if she could borrow the 86 cents,” she laughed. “So we’re going to give it to her when we get the cheque.”