A lotto winner in Alberta is over $1M richer after sitting on her ticket for almost a year
An Edmonton woman is celebrating big after finally cashing in on her winning lottery ticket — which she sat on for almost a year.
Mia Kuiken took home $1,000,010 after matching all seven numbers of a bonus draw in the January 23 WESTERN MAX draw.
The Alberta lotto winner, who says she's been playing the same numbers for years, said she was shocked when she realized she had won. "I was in shock — ecstatic and very excited!" she shared.
The winning ticket was purchased at Save-On-Foods on 91 Street in Edmonton, and the winning numbers were 2, 4, 14, 25, 29, 35 and 37. In addition to the million-dollar bonus, Kuiken won an extra $10 on the same ticket. Talk about a lucky day!
As for her plans, Kuiken, a volunteer cat cuddler at the Humane Society, said she might adopt a cat with her winnings. "I've always wanted to adopt a cat, so maybe I can do that now!" she said.
She's also thinking about donating to the Humane Society and using the rest for savings and bills, adding, "It gives me a sense of relief... It definitely will make things a lot easier."
How WESTERN MAX works
WESTERN MAX is a lottery game exclusive to the Prairie provinces of Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the three territories. It works a lot like Lotto Max — for each $2 play, players get three seven-number selections. The more numbers matched, the bigger the prize!
WESTERN MAX draws are held every Tuesday and Friday and offer a $2 million jackpot, along with 14 additional prizes of $1 million each. Extra prizes are also available for those who choose to add EXTRA.
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.
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Lotto 6/49 winner Oleksii Shypylenko.Courtesy of Western Canada Lottery Corporation