A young lottery player has found himself in the spotlight after a lottery win has turned him into a bit of a local celebrity.

Brett O'Neil is an 18-year-old who lives in Battersea, Ontario. He said that he's been playing the lottery ever since he turned 18.

"I like playing Instant tickets," said O'Neil, who works as a gas technician.

He said that he purchased an Instant Crossword ticket, and late one night, he decided to finally play his ticket.

"I think they're a fun way to pass the time and one day I got lucky," he recalled.

O'Neil couldn't believe that he had won the game's top prize and was now $50,000 richer. So he went to the store just to be sure.

"I validated my ticket at the store, and the machine shut down," he said. "I had to check it about 10 times!"

It didn't take long for his family and friends to learn about his lottery win.

"They couldn't believe it. My mom says I'm a local celebrity!" he said, laughing.

With his money, O'Neil said he plans to fix up his boat. But apart from that, he plans to be responsible with his winnings.

"I think I'll save the majority of this win," he said while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings. "That way, it will be there if I need it."

Overall, it's been an exciting experience.

"It's pretty cool," he said. "This is a feeling I've never felt before — that's for sure!"