‘At first, I was a little skeptical’: Grandmother waits months before claiming $10.6M Lotto 6/49 jackpot

A Toronto grandmother waited months before claiming her lottery ticket, which eventually led her to a $10,600,885.60 win.

Xiaomin Han, 66, has been playing the lottery occasionally for the last few years. She decided to purchase a Lotto 6/49 ticket at JJ Smoke Centre on Yonge Street for the Sept. 10, 2022 draw, and was skeptical before cashing it in.

It was not until around May 2023 that she claimed her ticket, a moment that produced a sense of disbelief.

“At first I was a little skeptical,“ said Han, while picking up her winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

“I couldn’t believe the number in front of me, so I called my sister to have her verify it was real!”

Han was excited to see she had won a $10,600,885.60 prize, after matching six out of six numbers in the Lotto 6/49 draw: 11, 15, 19, 29, 41, 49.

“I feel calm, but excited to be a winner,” said Han. “I’m proof that it can happen to anyone.”

Han said her favourite games to play are Lotto Max and Daily Grand. She always chooses her own numbers and typically says yes to Encore.

Lotto 6/49 gives players the chance to win two multi-million dollar jackpots every Wednesday and Saturday, for just $3 a play. With the Classic Draw, players can win $5 million for every draw, while winning in the Gold Ball Draw guarantees either a $1 million prize, or a chance at the growing jackpot which starts at $10 million and can exceed over $60 million.

Han plans to use her winnings for some big upgrades, such as a new house and a new car. In the future, she also hopes to travel across Europe, a place she has never been to before.

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