There’s a new Lotto 6/49 winner from B.C. who got a $5 million jackpot.
He found out when he woke up the morning after the draw and saw an email notification on his phone.
BCLC recently announced that Roddie M., a resident of Surrey, B.C., had the winning ticket for the Classic Jackpot in the Lotto 6/49 draw on April 22.
The winning numbers for that Wednesday’s draw were 7, 11, 13, 30, 37 and 49.
Roddie selected his own numbers rather than buying a ticket with computer-generated numbers.
Then, the morning after the draw, he was about to get ready for his day when he saw an email that made him realize he was now a millionaire.
“I was waking up in bed,” Roddie told BCLC. “I have a PlayNow account, so when you win, you get a notification. For me, normally it’s a dollar or a free ticket.”
But with this Lotto 6/49 draw, it wasn’t just a free ticket or a $1 win.
“When I got this notification, I checked and saw a five with lots of zeros,” he said.
“At first, I thought it was a mistake,” Roddie continued. “I checked the ticket and matched all the numbers. I didn’t believe it. I woke up my son to tell him.”
He told BCLC that the win was “surreal” and he took his son for a steak dinner at The Keg to celebrate.
There are two jackpots with every Lotto 6/49 draw, and each $3 ticket gets you numbers for both prizes.
The Classic Jackpot is a $5 million prize that you win by matching the six numbers for that draw, which is how Roddie became a millionaire with his ticket.
The Gold Ball Jackpot starts at $10 million and goes up to $68 million.
Every Lotto 6/49 play includes a unique 10-digit Gold Ball draw number. A winning number is drawn from all of the selections, and then a separate Gold Ball draw determines if that winning number gets the Gold Ball Jackpot or a $1 million prize.
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.