There's a new Lotto Max winner in Ontario who claimed a massive $65 million jackpot.
But he didn't realize he scored the multi-million dollar prize because he thought he missed the jackpot by one number!
OLG just revealed that Mark Hanley of Newmarket won the $65 million jackpot from the Lotto Max draw on March 28, 2025.
Hanley, a retired business software analyst, bought the winning ticket at New Town Variety on Yonge Street in Newmarket.
For the draw on March 28, the Lotto Max winning numbers were 7, 13, 33, 40, 44, 49 and 50.
Hanley was up early eating breakfast and decided to check his Lotto Max ticket online, doing each number one at a time.
After he matched three numbers, Hanley started to pay closer attention.
Finally, he matched all seven numbers, but he didn't understand what that meant.
"I've been playing the lottery for 30 years, and when I counted all seven numbers, I was disappointed that I didn't match the bonus number," Hanley told OLG.
"Then I realized there are only seven numbers with Lotto Max," he continued. "When I saw there was only one winner and the jackpot was $65 million, I started jumping for joy, saying, 'Touchdown.'"
Hanley's wife was still sleeping when he found out about the jackpot win, so he debated whether to wake her up.
"I decided to share the news by saying, 'Honey, do you want to kiss a millionaire?' Funny enough, she sternly said, 'No,' and tried to go back to sleep," he said.
Then he convinced her to wake up and come downstairs so he could show her the winning ticket.
But she still didn't realize what was happening.
Once the reality that he had a $65 million winning ticket actually settled in, Hanley's wife started crying.
Mark Hanley.Courtesy of OLG
Hanley and his wife decided to tell their grown children about the jackpot win face-to-face.
"We called to make sure they were home, and I said to my wife, 'Don't tell them anything, just say we're coming over,'" Hanley revealed.
"When they answered the phone and my wife started to talk, she began crying again. She said, 'We're coming to see you. I can't tell you why, but everything's alright.'"
Hanley joked that their kids probably thought someone had died.
"I felt so good to tell them, and it's a dream come true to now be able to provide for them in so many incredible ways," Hanley said.
The retiree from Newmarket already has plans for his Lotto Max jackpot.
"I want to travel the world for its food," Hanley said. "I want to go to Italy, and especially France. I love French bread, French wine, and, oh my, French cheese."
He has another idea for how to spend the $65 million that might not actually happen.
"I want to buy a castle, but my wife won’t let me," he said.
Hanley also plans to surprise a few of his immediate family members with some money.
"They're probably not going to believe it at first because you don't expect someone to suddenly come out of the blue and give you a gift like this," he said.
Hanley told OLG that he always dreamed of winning a couple million dollars from the lottery, but never anything like this.
"I just feel so grateful and blessed that this win came my way," he said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.