Ukrainian Refugee Wins €500,000 in Belgian Lottery

The organization that manages the lottery in Belgium announced today, Monday, that "a Ukrainian refugee won €500,000 ($540,000) with a lottery ticket." The man purchased the ticket for five euros last month at a gas station, which means his winnings are a hundred thousand times what he spent. The winning refugee, whose identity will remain unknown like all winners of the Belgian lottery, is between 18 and 24 years old and has been living in Brussels for about a year. A spokesperson for the national lottery said, "He has mixed feelings (about winning); it’s a tough time to be happy with everything happening in his homeland," referring to the devastating Russian attack on Ukraine. She added, "The winner wants to first hold a celebration to thank everyone who helped him integrate into Belgium, and afterward, he wishes to do something for his fellow citizens and contribute to the reconstruction of Ukraine." Although she noted that the winner is happy in Belgium and has a job, she said he wishes to return to Ukraine as soon as the war is over. Lottery winnings in Belgium are tax-free. Last year, 165 people from a small Belgian village won a total of €142,897,164 in the lottery.