Alberta Lotto Max Winner Had The Winning Ticket Fall Onto His Lap & He Couldn't Believe It

His partner didn't think it was real either!

Lotto Max winners Craig Murray and Shauna Budden.

Lotto Max winners Craig Murray and Shauna Budden.

WCLC
Editor

A Lotto Max winner in Alberta couldn't believe that the big win was real at first, and is now $500,000 richer.

Craig Murray and Shauna Budden, from Fort McMurray, discovered the windfall the day after the October 18 Lotto Max draw, after buying the winning lottery ticket at PK’s corner at 101 Riverstone Ridgeon.

It was luck that Murray even checked the ticket after it literally fell onto his lap. the morning after the draw he was sitting in the parking lot at work, having his morning coffee.

"The car in front of me had its lights on so I pulled down the visor to block the light, and then our tickets fell onto my lap," he said.

So he checked the tickets and was shocked to see that they had actually won. "This can't be real," Murray said.

He then took a photo of the exciting win and sent it to Budden — who also couldn't believe it.

"He called me and said, 'did you see the text I sent you?'" she said. "I said 'this isn't real... this can't be real,'" she added.

It was in fact real though, and the pair is now going to invest the money, pay off bills, and of course, "spend the rest of it on fun things," Murray said.

The pair isn't the only ones to get lucky this year, playing the Lotto Max. One winner is planning to help a friend with his new riches, while another started shaking and crying when he discovered the news.

If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.

  • Editor

    Morgan Leet (she/her) is an Editor for Narcity Media Group. After graduating from Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communication, she jumped into fulfilling her dream as a journalist, merging her passion for travelling with writing. She got her start working in the print media world on Canada’s East Coast, then joined Narcity with a move to B.C., leading the launch of West Coast coverage. Her focus now is managing a large group of freelance writers, bringing human-forward and opinion content to the site.

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