Winning a $1 million prize seems like a once in a lifetime experience, but for a Shediac Cape man, luck is on his side.

Jim Slate won the Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw on July 12th, worth $1 million.

in 2011, he won n the same amount on a Scratch n’ win ticket.

This time around, he is sharing it with his friend Bill Eisener of Moncton.   They’ve been buying lottery tickets together for more than two years.

Friends for decades, Eisener suggested he and Slate start splitting their tickets.

“He’s won more often than I have,” Eisener said, with a laugh.

“We sort of shocked Bill when we called him,” Slate says.

Eisener said he didn’t know what to expect getting a call that early in the morning

“My wife was going berserk, it freaked me out until the reality set in there,” he said. “I haven’t grasped it yet.”

Already retired, Eisener plans to use some of his winnings to purchase a new truck, while Slate has dreams of exploring North America with his wife.
“Get a travel trailer and go west. I’ve never been cross-country. I’ve been to Edmonton and B.C., but not across. And hopefully down through the States and come back to the East Coast,” he said, adding that more than anything the win will provide peace of mind.

The winning Lotto 6/49 ticket was purchased at Wilson’s in Shediac, N.B. The retailer will receive a one per cent seller’s prize.