Belgium: Ukrainian refugee wins 500,000 euros in scratch game

In the end, luck smiled at him. A Ukrainian refugee won 500,000 euros with a lottery ticket. A young man who fled the war has been living in the Brussels area for a year now. On May 16, he bought a €5 scratch ticket at a gas station.

The national lottery, which does not release details of its players, said on Monday that he was between 18 and 24 years old. Like all winners with amounts over 100,000 euros, he was invited to the headquarters of the National Lottery in Brussels so that his prize could be handed over to him.

“Shared Feelings”

“His feelings were very mixed,” said Jock Vermur, a spokesman for the National Lottery, quoted in a press release. “His mind was clearly in Ukraine and at this time it is difficult to rejoice at everything that happens in his country. But at the same time, of course, he was very pleased with his victory and, above all, full of hope.”

“With the money he earns, he intends, first of all, to do something for his compatriots and for the restoration of his country. But first, he wants to throw a party in Belgium for the family and friends who took care of him and helped him settle in,” the rep added. The young man found a job in Belgium, but “of course he would prefer to return to Ukraine as soon as possible, as soon as the war is over,” Jutka Vermoer added.