Paul Cousineau of Orillia can “find his possible” after winning $5 million in the LOTTO 6/49 Classic Jackpot on March 19, 2025.
Paul, an administrative professional in the hospitality industry, has been playing the lottery with OLG for decades. He enjoys playing LOTTO 6/49 and LOTTO MAX, using OLG’s Quick Pick feature to make his selections. The father of two and grandfather of one is thrilled to be celebrating his first big win!
“It was a regular day when I decided to pick up a ticket at my usual store. I’ve been buying my tickets there for years,” he shared, while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his windfall.
Paul explained that he didn’t check his tickets immediately after the draw. “I waited about four weeks. By then, I had over 20 tickets to check,” he said.
When he finally went to the store to validate his ticket, the lottery terminal froze. “I remained calm and carried on with my day, only telling my cousin about my win. I even made them take an oath of silence!” Paul said with a laugh.
To keep the news under wraps before making a big announcement, Paul deliberately downplayed his win when his grandson questioned him. “Unexpectedly, my grandson checked my ticket and asked, ‘Did you win the jackpot?’ I told him, ‘No, but I won $5,000!’ I wanted to keep my win a secret until I had the cheque in hand. Now, I have a big reveal planned for our family barbecue tomorrow.”
When asked how it feels to win the lottery, Paul said, “It’s absolutely surreal. I’m overjoyed and shaking. All the anticipation I’ve felt has led to this moment, and it’s a dream come true.”
Paul added that the past year has been a difficult time for him. “I lost my wife last year,” he shared. “Her dream was to take an Alaskan cruise, and I want to honour that by going on one for my 52nd birthday this fall. I’ll have her urn with me, so in a way, she’ll be with me on this trip.”
LOTTO 6/49 offers players a chance to win two multi-million dollar jackpots every Wednesday and Saturday, for the same $3 per play.
The Classic Draw offers a fixed $5 million jackpot for every draw, while the Gold Ball Draw guarantees a $1 million prize, or the growing jackpot that starts at $10 million and can exceed $60 million. Click here for more information about the new LOTTO 6/49.
The winning ticket was purchased at Circle K on Atherley Road in Orillia.
