PLP chairman is winner of $160,000 jackpot

A BELCO foreman has scooped the biggest jackpot ever paid out by a bookmakers in Bermuda.

Maynard Dill was presented with a giant cheque for $161,000 by Sea Horses yesterday, but said the windfall would not change him.

The 57-year-old plans to use the cash to pay off the mortgage on his Pembroke home, but also hopes it will mean he can do more to help local charities as well as seniors.

The PLP party chairman correctly matched six numbers, in a number-based bingo game called 49ers, that were drawn in the UK on the afternoon of Saturday, February 23.

But he did not even realize he had won the jackpot until Wednesday.

He said: “I have been playing this game for the last four months, but I usually wait until the next week to check my numbers.

“Then on Wednesday morning I was relaxing at home and my wife came in saying that she had heard that there was $160,000 that had not been claimed at Sea Horses.

“I just thought if it has not been claimed then it has to be mine.”

His wife, Wilma, added: “He literally flew out of bed and called Sea Horses.

“He kept telling me he had won but I did not believe him.

“Then he went over the numbers on the phone and got more excited as he read them out.

“And then he just shouted ‘I told you it was me’. That was the only time he really got excited.”

The 49ers game is unique to Sea Horses and the jackpot has repeatedly rolled over the last few years because no one has been able to predict six of the numbers that are drawn.

Two draws take place every weekday at 8:49am and 1:49pm with a further draw on Saturday afternoon.

Mr Dill’s winning numbers were 3, 13, 18, 20, 23 and 41 and cost him just a $2.50 bet.

Mr Dill, who has five children and six grandchildren, added: “Sometimes I use the age of my children or grandchildren as numbers.

“But this winning line of numbers was just random.

“I don’t usually win this kind of thing to be honest.

“I have been coming to Sea Horses for more than 20 years and I used to bet on the horses and other stuff, but these days this is the only game I play.

“I’ll keep playing the game even though I have won the jackpot.

“People who know that I have won the money have been really kind to me – they have said it could not happen to a nicer person.

“I have always enjoyed helping people and hopefully after paying off the mortgage this will allow me to help more charities and seniors.

“If there is anything left after that I’ll go and buy a beef pie!”

Sea Horses’ General Manager, Lee Beauchamp, said: “We are highly delighted that a Bermudian has won this substantial amount of money.

“This is the biggest jackpot we have ever paid out and to our knowledge is the biggest win from a Bermudian company too.

“The jackpot now will go back to $49,000 and because it is a random draw there is no reason why the jackpot can not be won again this weekend.”