Lotto 6/49: Calgary man puts off claiming $1M Gold Ball prize for 3 months in order to avoid the cold

Laszlo Kovacs isn't the biggest fan of winter. In fact, the Calgary man avoided claiming his Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball ticket for three months — all because he didn't want to go out in the cold.
'It was very cold,' said Kovacs at the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) prize centre. 'I don't like to drive far when it's like that.'
He had purchased the ticket for the Nov. 20, 2024 draw but didn't scan it until December. That's when he discovered he'd won $1 million — a surprise that left him stunned.
'I couldn't believe it,' he said. 'I was jumping up and down inside!'
Even after realizing he'd won big, Kovacs waited until March 2025 to officially claim his prize. He sat on the ticket, waiting for the weather to warm up before making the trip.
'I'm glad I kept the receipt!' he said. 'It helped me remember all the details months later.'
The winning ticket was purchased at Sandstone Pharmacy, located at 4-3525 26 Avenue SE in Calgary. Kovacs won in the Gold Ball Draw with the selection 31765145-01 — a white ball worth $1 million.
Before doing anything else, he plans to celebrate the win at home with his cat, Muci, who might be in for a few extra treats.
'He is already spoiled!' Kovacs said. 'He doesn't need any more toys — but will probably get some!'
While the prize won't be funding anything too flashy, Kovacs says he's excited to use it in a meaningful way.
'I was raised to save my money,' he said. 'I may go on a trip though; I would love to go to Croatia!'
One of his long-time dreams is to attend a soccer game abroad.
'I do cheer for a lot of football [soccer] teams, and I'd like to see one if I can!' he said.
Even now with the warmer weather coming in, the reality of the win hasn't fully set in.
'I still can't wrap my head around it — it definitely makes life easier!' said Kovacs.
Lotto 6/49 offers players the chance to win two multi-million-dollar jackpots on every $3 play. The Classic Draw offers a $5-million jackpot every Wednesday and Saturday. The Gold Ball draw, however, is a new format introduced in September 2022, and guarantees a winner every time.
It starts at $10 million, and includes 30 balls in the draw: 29 white and 1 gold. Each white ball is worth $1 million, whereas the gold ball represents the lucky jackpot prize. This Gold Ball jackpot continues to grow by $2 million each time a white ball is drawn, until it reaches $68 million with no more white balls remaining — which then guarantees a Gold Ball winner.
If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Learn with AIFact CheckingText to SpeechAI Summary

Related Articles

Yahoo

a day ago

• Yahoo

Lotto 6/49: Good Samaritan returns wallet with $1M ticket inside

Mario Raimondi of Winnipeg is $1 million richer, and he has a Good Samaritan to thank for it. After finding out that he won as part of the Gold Ball draw on April 25, he stored his ticket in his wallet. But at some point while Raimondi was out, that wallet, and the $1 million ticket inside, was lost. That's until he received a little bit more good fortune. 'I was lucky enough that someone found it and returned it to me,' said Raimondi, while claiming his prize with the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC). 'The ticket was still in my wallet when it was returned!' The longtime Lotto 6/49 player says he buys tickets for every draw and usually checks his numbers online. His habit of storing tickets in his wallet nearly cost him this time — but instead, it turned into a story of unexpected kindness. 'I'm taking this as a sign to pay it forward and help someone else out,' said Raimondi. 'My prayers have been answered!' Now that he's officially a millionaire, Raimondi already knows what's first on his shopping list. 'The first thing [on my list] is a new house!' he said. Raimondi purchased his winning ticket at the Red River Co-op at 1600 Regent Avenue West in Winnipeg. His lucky Gold Ball Draw selection — 27966889-01 — landed on a white ball worth $1 million. Lotto 6/49 offers players the chance to win two multi-million-dollar jackpots on every $3 play. The Classic Draw offers a $5 million jackpot every Wednesday and Saturday. The Gold Ball draw, however, is a new format introduced in September 2022, and guarantees a winner every time. It starts at $10 million, and includes 30 balls in the draw: 29 white and 1 gold. Each white ball is worth $1 million, whereas the gold ball represents the lucky jackpot prize. This Gold Ball jackpot continues to grow by $2 million each time a white ball is drawn, until it reaches $68 million with no more white balls remaining — which then guarantees a Gold Ball winner. If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.

Yahoo

2 days ago

• Yahoo

Lotto 6/49: Good Samaritan returns wallet with $1M ticket inside

Mario Raimondi of Winnipeg is $1 million richer, and he has a Good Samaritan to thank for it. After finding out that he won as part of the Gold Ball draw on April 25, he stored his ticket in his wallet. But at some point while Raimondi was out, that wallet, and the $1 million ticket inside, was lost. That's until he received a little bit more good fortune. 'I was lucky enough that someone found it and returned it to me,' said Raimondi, while claiming his prize with the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC). 'The ticket was still in my wallet when it was returned!' The longtime Lotto 6/49 player says he buys tickets for every draw and usually checks his numbers online. His habit of storing tickets in his wallet nearly cost him this time — but instead, it turned into a story of unexpected kindness. 'I'm taking this as a sign to pay it forward and help someone else out,' said Raimondi. 'My prayers have been answered!' Now that he's officially a millionaire, Raimondi already knows what's first on his shopping list. 'The first thing [on my list] is a new house!' he said. Raimondi purchased his winning ticket at the Red River Co-op at 1600 Regent Avenue West in Winnipeg. His lucky Gold Ball Draw selection — 27966889-01 — landed on a white ball worth $1 million. Lotto 6/49 offers players the chance to win two multi-million-dollar jackpots on every $3 play. The Classic Draw offers a $5 million jackpot every Wednesday and Saturday. The Gold Ball draw, however, is a new format introduced in September 2022, and guarantees a winner every time. It starts at $10 million, and includes 30 balls in the draw: 29 white and 1 gold. Each white ball is worth $1 million, whereas the gold ball represents the lucky jackpot prize. This Gold Ball jackpot continues to grow by $2 million each time a white ball is drawn, until it reaches $68 million with no more white balls remaining — which then guarantees a Gold Ball winner. If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.

Yahoo

11-06-2025

• Yahoo

Canadian man wins his fourth major lottery prize

June 11 (UPI) -- An Alberta man scored a lottery jackpot of more than $730,000, marking his fourth major lottery prize -- and his third since August 2024. The Western Canada Lottery Corp. announced David Serkin, of Lethbridge, won a prize of $731,593.12 in the May 3 Lotto 6/49 Classic drawing. Serkin previously collected $365,796.56 in the Aug. 20, 2024, Lotto Max drawing, and an additional $731,593.12 in the Nov. 16 Lotto 6/49 drawing. The man, who has been a regular lottery player since 1982, also collected $182,898.28 from a lottery drawing more than a decade prior to his recent winning streak. Serkin said his friends and family were shocked to learn of his most recent win. "I went for coffee with the boys after I checked my ticket," he told WCLC officials. "They asked to see it and said, 'Not again!'" The player admitted even he had trouble believing his recent luck. "I know the odds are astronomical," he said. "I don't think it'll happen again, but I still like buying tickets." He said his prize money will keep his life comfortable. "I'm a cancer survivor and I'm retired, so I am just grateful for all of it," he said.