Darrin MacDonald was all but sure the ticket checker he was using was broken after scanning his LOTTO MAX ticket and seeing multiple zeroes on the screen.
But it was working just fine – the Red Deer resident had just discovered he won a million dollars in the June 8 draw.
MacDonald purchased his $6 ticket at Sobeys Gaetz South, located at 5111 22nd St. in Red Deer. He returned to the store the day after the draw and scanned his ticket.
“I couldn’t believe it at first,” he said. “I scanned the ticket and thought for sure the machine was just broken and showing random numbers.”
“I took the ticket to the store clerk afterwards and there it was,” he laughed. “I won a million dollars!”
The winner said he hasn’t made many plans for his windfall, but does know one thing for sure: “I’ll never have to work again!” he laughed while claiming his prize at the St. Albert claim office.
MacDonald won his prize by exactly matching one of the 50 MAXMILLIONS prizes drawn on June 8. His million-dollar-winning numbers were 2, 3, 8, 22, 30, 31 and 40.
MacDonald is one of 25 ticketholders in Western Canada Lottery Corporation’s region to become a millionaire during LOTTO MAX’s longest-ever consecutive jackpot roll (17 draws, from April 23 – June 21).
He is also the 27th Albertan to take home a lottery prize of $1 million or more since the start of 2021.