A MYSTERY Scot has become a millionaire thanks to a cabbie gossiping about the unclaimed prize he had no idea he had won.
Last week bookies launched a search for the missing owner of a £1m winning Irish Lotto ticket from a Glasgow Ladbrokes after the monster prize went unclaimed.
The search was splashed across social media as the hunt was on for the unwitting winner – who was sitting on a ticket worth £1,018,020.
But the oblivious winner had no idea that he was in for a life-changing windfall until a taxi driver began gossiping about the unclaimed ticket as they passed the betting shop where it was made.
The winner – a man in his 60s from the east end of the city – said: “’I was travelling along the Tollcross Road and the cabbie said a lucky punter won a million in that Ladbrokes shop.
“I replied saying I play the Irish Lotto in that shop but haven’t checked my ticket yet.
“I got home, checked the numbers on the internet and immediately turned to jelly, before asking my wife, ‘What would you do if you we became millionaires?’
The mystery winner added: “I’ve never had a bet on the horses, on football, or anything else other than the lottery so it’s fair to say I’ve been pretty lucky.
“I do the same numbers every week and won’t be changing them any time soon.
“I only ever put a couple of bets on and it’s a few quid for a shot at a million so it’s worth it.
“I’ve no plans to buy a football clubs so I’ll just enjoy spending the money on travel but I’ll never leave the East End of Glasgow.
“It’s my home and I still want to be able to go into the same pubs, the same bookies.”
The recently-retired couple now have plans to visit Australia and sail away on a Caribbean cruise.
Alex Donohue of Ladbrokes said: “If the cabbie had struck up a conversation about football or the weather our millionaire might still be out there.
“Thankfully for him the mystery jackpot winner came to mind as they drove past the shop and the rest his history.”
He added: ‘Our winner is proof yet again that the Irish Lotto makes millionaires from as little as a pound and we’d like to congratulate him.”
The unknown Glaswegian is the third Scot to become a gambling millionaire in the past two weeks.
On January 13 a Hawick couple were unveiled as the winners of a £33m jackpot after purchasing a winning National Lottery ticket.
A Tayside man also became a winner after receiving a £2.2m payout from an online casino in the past two weeks.
