By Dominic Abassi

Nanaimo man already spending big after huge lotto win

Aug 18, 2016 | 5:25 PM

NANAIMO — Crazy. Awesome. Living a dream.

Those are the words a Nanaimo man is using to describe winning the $21-million jackpot on the August 13 Lotto 6/49 draw.

52-year-old Bill Laharty says he’s been busy since he found out he was a multi-millionaire on Sunday.

“Well I’ve already bought a couple of cars, I just haven’t paid for them yet. I bought a couple of expensive BMW’s,” said Laharty.

Laharty, who is single and has no kids, has lived in Nanaimo for 22-years.

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When asked further about his brand new cars, he says he’s never owned a new car in his life.

“They’re BMW’s. Expensive ones. Like $240,000,” he said as BCLC lotto officials laughed in the background during the phone conversation.

He bought his ticket online through PlayNow.com. The BCLC reports it’s the largest-ever online lottery prize in Canada.

Coincidentally, the previous online lotto record win, $7.6-million in 2010, was also won by a Nanaimo resident.

Laharty, who is now retired from his hard-labour job hand-digging holes with ‘Dig Right’, says he’s been buying tickets online for about five years, but has been playing the lottery for years before that.

While some lotto winners are timid and take a cautious approach to splurging with their new-found millions, Laharty says he’s ready to live it up.

“No, no, I’ve got plans,” he said chuckling joyously.

He says he plans to buy a condo downtown on the water, somewhere he can just lock the door and go travel, to places like Bora Bora and Australia.

Although he already owns a boat, a “better one” is in the cards, as well as a nicer motorbike.

Laharty says the experience has been great, if not a bit surreal so far.

“Everyone has been really supportive and nothing weird has happened. I haven’t had a whole bunch of sleep.”