Lotto Winner From BC Thought He'd Won $75 Until He Checked His Ticket Again

A lucky lottery player in B.C. got the surprise of a lifetime when he realized that what he thought was a $75 winning ticket was actually a much bigger prize.

Abbas Ebadypoor, from Surrey, matched 5/6+ numbers from the BC/49 draw on February 2 after he purchased a ticket from Superstore on King George Highway and validated it at the Guilford Mall.

His winning numbers were a combination of birthdays and other meaningful dates — and it's a lottery ticket he won't forget buying for a long time.

"I scanned it and thought we only won $75 but then noticed there were more zeroes — and it was actually $75,000," he said.

Ebadypoor said that he didn't tell his wife, Soghra Zendehdel, about their windfall "for a few days" as he wanted to make sure it was correct.

Now, the retired bus driver says this huge win gives him a sense of "relaxation and calmness" for the two of them.

"It’s great news for us and I’m very happy to not worry about my retirement. We are so excited and couldn’t even believe we won this money," he added.

His win follows a similar recent lottery win over the provincial border in Alberta.

Chad Perriot, from Grand Prairie, thought he had only won $100 in the March 29 Lotto Max draw, but after checking his ticket a second time, he realized he had, in fact, won $100,000.

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