Please complete your profile to unlock commenting and other important features.

User AvatarBuild your avatar
Please select your date of birth for special perks on your birthday. Your username will be your unique profile link and will be publicly used in comments.
Narcity Pro

This is a Pro feature.

Time to level up your local game with Narcity Pro.

Pro

$5/month

$40/year

  • Everything in the Free plan
  • Ad-free reading and browsing
  • Unlimited access to all content including AI summaries
  • Directly support our local and national reporting and become a Patron
  • Cancel anytime.
For Pro members only Pro
Summary

5 Brampton Friends Won $14.2 Million After Picking Lottery Numbers From A Fortune Cookie

Talk about lucky!
Lotto 6/49 Winners From Brampton Got The Winning Numbers From A Fortune Cookie
OLG | Handout
Staff Writer

A group of five friends in Brampton owe their greatest Christmas present ever to an unusual source — a fortune cookie.

The five Lotto 6/49 winners are a combined $14.2 million richer after striking gold on their latest ticket, which was purchased from a Rabba Fine Foods in Brampton.

Editor's Choice: Health Canada Has Recommendations About Who Shouldn't Get The Moderna Vaccine

$14.2 million The lottery amount won

Gregorio Ballesteros, Ariel Serame, Eric Escolano, Henry Gyamfi, and Rey Pantilano Pilla are all co-workers from Brampton, and they have been playing the lottery together for eight years.

This time, they picked their numbers from a fortune cookie — and talk about good fortune.

Only Ballesteros collected the $14.2-million cheque due to COVID-19 precautions, and the ring-leader was also the first one to learn about the win.

He called his co-workers as soon as he discovered they'd won.

“No one believed me at first!” he told OLG.

They plan on using the money to invest, pay off bills and purchase property, according to OLG — with no word on whether or not they planned to buy a few more fortune cookies from wherever they found the first one. 

The OLG also publishes unclaimed lottery tickets on their website, where they say that someone in Mississauga is currently sitting on an unclaimed ticket worth $1 million.

From Your Site Articles
TorontoCanadaNewsNews

Explore this list   👀

    • Cormac O'Brien
      Cormac O'Brien was an Associate Editor at Narcity Canada, covering all things exciting and trending about Canada. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing and Journalism from the University of Victoria, where he served as the Editor-in-Chief of the campus newspaper and was awarded the BCYNA Community News Scholarship for his writing. He was also the producer and co-host of Now On Narcity, Narcity's flagship podcast.

    Lotto 6/49 winner from Toronto got the $60 million jackpot with a ticket he bought online

    This 26-year-old thought the call from OLG was a scam.

    Lotto Max winner in Toronto just claimed a $65 million jackpot from a ticket bought in 2024

    He didn't even pick the numbers!

    Lotto Max winner in Ontario won $65 million but thought he missed the jackpot by one number

    He shared the news with his wife by asking, "Do you want to kiss a millionaire?"

    This enchanting Ontario town 'feels like Europe' and is dotted with cute cafes and cozy shops

    No passport needed.

    Costco is opening another new store in Ontario soon but it's not like a regular warehouse

    This location also has a gas station!

    This 2 hr train ride from Ottawa takes you to a magical waterfront city with autumn charm

    The journey is just as pretty as the destination. 🍁

    Canada's safest places to live in 2025 were ranked and so many big cities beat Toronto

    One province totally dominated. 👀

    Ex-Tim Hortons employees explain all the ways you're using the drive-thru wrong

    Do you order drinks before food? 👀

    Canada's most popular grocery stores were ranked and Canadians shared why they shop there

    It's not just about getting the cheapest prices!

    This Ontario town is a 'waterfall capital' with misty cascades and pumpkin-filled streets

    It's a magical spot to visit during the fall.