The young migrant who won $270,000 in March with a $6 scratchcard in the port of Zeebrugge is looking for a way to collect his reward, which he intends to use to start a new life in Belgium.
The man won $270,000 using a scratchcard he bought in a Spar supermarket in Zeebrugge at the end of March, but he left without collecting his prize because the retailer couldn’t pay out his winnings in cash.
However, he did show up at the police station with a lawyer earlier this week. Now, the two of them are trying to find a way to obtain his prize money, as the man does not have residency permission in Belgium and thus cannot open a bank account.
“When I get the money, I am going to buy a place to live in Brussels. And maybe a car,” he told Het Laatste Nieuws. “I have put away the idea of living in the United Kingdom. I am going to stay here and try to build a life.”
He sailed from Algeria to Spain four months ago. From there, he walked across Spain and France, eventually arriving in Belgium.
“All in one go. I have been here for a month and a half now,” he said.
He traveled between Brussels and Zeebrugge, a coastal town where many migrants leave to try to cross the English Channel to the United Kingdom. He explained that the local pastor also organized a daily food handout for the individuals who gathered there, which is why he had enough money to purchase the scratch card.
“We got food for free, so I decided to take a chance and buy a scratchcard,” he said.
First, he won $6 with two other scratchcards, which he used to buy the winning ticket.
“I scratched twice. I did not realise it at first,” he said. “But I started shaking and then told a friend. He went back to the store with me, with his bank card. But that did not work.”
Indeed, the man’s prize will be difficult to collect because he will be unable to open an account in Belgium without the proper documents. Three of the man’s buddies previously went to the National Lottery with the winning ticket last week. However, because they did not match the winner’s camera footage, the cops detained them. After the actual winner revealed the circumstances, they were released.
For the time being, the winning ticket is being held in the Bruges police safe.
Meanwhile, the National Lottery has stated that it is committed to getting the guy his money after he has resolved all administrative obstacles.
“We will look at what is the best option for him now,” the man’s lawyer, Alexander Verstraete, told Het Laatste Nieuws. “But we will do everything we can to open an account as soon as possible. In his own name or not.”
Once he has the funds and secures a place to live and establishes himself, he intends to open a shop, he explained.
“And of course, I will also look for a wife. Still, I am not going to find one with my money, but with my heart.”