There’s a new Lotto 6/49 winner in Ontario, and he scored $44 million with an online ticket.
He was commuting to work when he heard about the jackpot and pulled his car over to check his email!
OLG just revealed that Emidio S. of Jarvis, which is south of Brantford, won the $44 million Gold Ball Jackpot in the Lotto 6/49 on March 11, 2026.
He bought the winning ticket online through OLG and used the Auto Pick feature to select the numbers.
The winning number for the Gold Ball Jackpot in that draw was 51022818-01.
“I was on my way to work listening to the radio when I heard the Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball prize was won in Ontario, but I didn’t hear the amount,” Emidio told OLG.
“I would usually wait until I got to work to check my email because I buy my lottery tickets on OLG.ca, but something told me to stop the car and check right away,” he continued.
So, Emidio pulled over in front of a random house, checked his phone and saw an email from OLG.
“The email looked a little different than normal. I logged into my OLG.ca account and was shocked when I saw the prize amount.”
He thought it was $4,400 or $44,000 on first glance, but then he counted all the zeroes and realized it was actually $44 million.
“I signed out of my OLG.ca account, logged back in, and saw the $44 million figure again. I couldn’t wrap my head around it,” Emidio said.
He wanted to tell his wife, but instead of calling from the car and continuing his drive to work, he decided to turn around and go back home to share the news in person.
“As soon as I walked into the house, I took a deep breath and told her I needed her to look at my OLG.ca account,” he explained. “She was stunned to see that I had won the jackpot.”
“My wife looked at me with tears in her eyes and asked me if this was real. And for the first time, at that moment, it felt like it was.”
Lotto 6/49 winner Emidio S. with a cheque.Courtesy of OLG
Now that he’s a multimillionaire, Emidio’s top priority is going on a vacation with his wife.
“My wife works 12-hour days, sometimes seven days a week. She needs this,” he said. “We used to travel a bit before COVID, and just seeing her relaxing on a beach back then was pure joy for me.”
Emidio has already retired from the service industry, so he plans to explore Europe, go on a cruise and see the world with his family and friends.
Also, he wants to use his Lotto 6/49 jackpot to help his children.
“I’m hoping they’ll be able to live out their ambitions and careers on their own terms, rather than simply working to pay the bills.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.