Saskatchewan Lotto Max Winner's $130K Ticket Ended Up In A Ditch On The Side Of The Road
"I had to get out of the truck and look around the ditch to find them all!"
A Lotto Max sign. RIght: Lotto Max winners Wendy Olson and Orville Miner.
If you play the lottery, one thing you'll definitely want to avoid is losing your ticket before you've had a chance to check it.
That was nearly the case for a Lotto Max winner in Saskatchewan whose winning ticket ended up in a ditch on the side of a road.
White Fox, Saskatchewan, residents Orville Miner and Wendy Olson found out they had won $135,984.60 in the October 7 Lotto Max draw, but before claiming their prize, they nearly lost the winning ticket.
According to a press release from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, while driving with the window down, Miner moved the sun visor — which is where he keeps his lottery tickets — only to have them all blow right out the window and into a ditch.
"I had to get out of the truck and look around the ditch to find them all!" Miner recalled.
Luckily, Miner was able to collect all the tickets and took them to a store to check if there were any winners.
When he checked them, he discovered that one of the tickets that had flown away earlier had actually won big.
The store's cashier confirmed the win for the couple, who had matched six of the seven Lotto Max winning numbers and the bonus number to score $135,984.60.
"I was kind of dumbfounded at first, I didn't know what to say," Miner said while claiming his ticket.
When Miner showed Olson the winning ticket, at first, she didn't think it was real.
"He's really into April Fool's jokes so I didn't believe him at first," she said. "I only believed it when I saw the matching ticket number on the claim slip."
As for what they'll do with their newfound cash, the winners said they plan to pay off some things and "enjoy life a little better," with Miner also looking forward to an earlier retirement.
Saskatchewan residents will want to follow Miner's lead and check their own tickets as there are still two unclaimed winning selections for a recent draw in the province.
According to WCLC, a $500,000 winning ticket purchased in Saskatoon and a $1 million winning ticket purchased in Saskatchewan — but not in Regina or Saskatoon — are still unclaimed from the October 21 Lotto Max draw.
How many numbers do you need to win anything on Lotto Max?
According to the Atlantic Lottery Corporation, in each lottery, seven main numbers and one bonus number are drawn.
If one of your sets of numbers matches the seven winning numbers that have been drawn, you'll win the top prize!
However, there are other prizes offered for matching three, four, five, or six of the seven numbers and the bonus number, including free plays and a percentage of the prize pool.
When is the next Lotto Max draw?
The next Lotto Max draw is on Friday, November 11, with an estimated jackpot of $29 million.
Tickets for the draw will be available until 10:30 p.m. ET on the draw night.
As the jackpot is below $50 million, there aren't any Maxmillions included in the prize pool for this draw.
However, you could still try your hand at scoring some cash!
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.