Fort Erie man lands $1M lottery win, plans to help family

Brent Jones
December 22, 2025 at 2:14 PM

A Fort Erie resident is celebrating a life-changing lottery win after claiming the $1-million top prize in the Bigger Spin Instant game.

According to a news release from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Corporation, David Schweyer of Fort Erie won the jackpot after advancing from an in-store spin to the game’s final, in-person Bigger Spin at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

David Schweyer of Fort Erie won the $1-million top prize in the Bigger Spin Instant game. Credit: Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation

Schweyer, who works in masonry, said the excitement began when he checked his ticket at a local retailer. After the animated wheel on the lottery terminal stopped on “Bigger Spin,” he knew he had secured a chance at the game’s top prize, the OLG said in its release.

“When the wheel stopped on Bigger Spin on the lottery terminal display, I knew I won the top prize,” Schweyer said in the release. “I started cheering saying, ‘I won the big one!’ It was unbelievable.”

At the OLG Prize Centre, Schweyer spun the physical Bigger Spin wheel, which landed on the $1-million prize. He described the moment as overwhelming, saying he felt emotional when the wheel stopped on the top amount.

The first call he made after the win was to his mother.

“Calling my mom to tell her I won $1 million was the best part of my day,” Schweyer said. “This win gives me the chance to take care of her in a way I always hoped to.”

He said one of his first plans is to buy his mother a home. Schweyer also has something more recreational in mind for himself: a speedboat, which he plans to name “The Bigger Spin.”

The winning ticket was purchased at Ineson’s Variety on Gilmore Road, keeping the big win close to home.

The Bigger Spin is a $10 instant game that combines scratch tickets with in-store and, in some cases, in-person wheel spins. Every spin guarantees a prize, with the top awards ranging from $500,000 to $1 million, according to OLG.