Riga bus driver wins €250,000 in lottery side game

Latvian state lottery operator Latvijas Loto reports that on Saturday, September 26, a 42-year-old Riga resident working as a bus driver won €250,000 in the Joker number-lottery side game. The winning ticket, which included five game combinations plus entry into both the Joker and Joker 7 side games for a total of €16.50, was purchased through the iLOTO online platform.

According to Elīna Asare, head of public relations at Latvijas Loto, this is the fifth lottery prize of a quarter-million euros or more paid out in Latvia this year, and the largest single Joker side-game win since the prize fund was expanded at the end of August.

Winner learned of the prize by phone

The man says he found out about his win on Saturday evening, shortly after the SuperBingo draw, when he received a call from an unknown number. He initially did not believe he had won €250,000, but checked his game account and confirmed the amount had been credited. He notes that saving enough on a bus driver's salary to buy a home had been very difficult, so the win now gives him the chance to buy his dream apartment in Riga.

Notably, this time his numbers were generated automatically rather than chosen by hand, as he usually did. He admits he had never previously managed to guess even 20 out of 40 numbers correctly, yet this time all six required digits matched.

Rule changes behind bigger payouts

In early September, Latvijas Loto introduced an updated concept for the Joker and Joker 7 side games, increasing the overall prize fund across all prize tiers. Since the change, the top Joker prize can reach €250,000, while Joker 7's top prize can reach €1,250,000. In September, two separate €10,000 Joker prizes were also paid out, in Roja municipality and in Riga, bringing the month's total Joker payouts to €295,475. In early October, a Joker 7 player also won €10,000.

Latvijas Loto board chairman Edgars Lediņš says the goal of the changes was to make the side games more engaging for players while maintaining responsible gambling standards.