Lethbridge local wins lottery for the third time in less than a year

Calgary Herald

2 days ago

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The cancer survivor won $500,000 on the August 20 LOTTO MAX draw, $1 million on the November 16 LOTTO 6/49 draw and most recently $1 million prize on the May 3 LOTTO 6/49 Classic draw, totalling $2.5 million in lottery wins in less than nine months.
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Western Canada Lottery Corp. described this win as rare in a news release, saying the odds of winning the LOTTO MAX jackpot or a MAXMILLIONS prize are both 1 in 33,294,800.
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'I know the odds are astronomical,' Serkin told Lotto Spot. 'I don't think it'll happen again, but I still like buying tickets.'
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Serkin won his $1 million prize on the May 3 LOTTO 6/49 Gold Ball draw with the selection 24645097-05, a white ball.
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The odds for the Gold Ball Draw are determined for each draw by the total number of selections issued across Canada.
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He described his family as being in disbelief of the win.
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'I went for coffee with the boys after I checked my ticket,' he said. 'They asked to see it and said, 'Not again?!''
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Serkin said he took his wife to Hawaii after his last win, and is planning a trip to Newfoundland with his latest prize.
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The Lethbridge local has been playing since LOTTO 6/49 launched in 1982. His most recent winning ticket was purchased from Shell Lethbridge at 2440 Fairway Plaza Road S in Lethbridge.
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Serkin isn't the only lucky Albertan playing the lottery. The province saw 55 people taking home prizes of $1 million or higher in 2024, totalling $237.3 million.
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That compares to 11 winners in both Saskatchewan and Manitoba, where players in there were awarded $17 million and $53 million respectively.
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Calgarians took home the most out of the larger prairie cities, ending up with $108.3 million among 22 winners.
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The next luckiest were Edmontonians, where 12 jackpot tickets racked up $23 million.
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WCLC's largest prize in 2024 — $70 million — was won by Beaverlodge resident Brian Hoover. The second largest prize — $66 million — was won by Calgarian James Jutzi.
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Those lopsided windfall results can be attributed to Alberta — and Calgary's — larger populations and a greater tendency for people here to try their luck, said WCLC spokesperson Emily Olsen.
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She said 60 per cent of the lottery company's sales are made in Alberta, with 20 per cent each in Manitoba and Saskatchewan.