'One ticket is all it takes': OLG reveals winner of $60-million jackpot
A woman from Hamilton, Ont. is now a multimillionaire after she won the $60-million Lotto Max jackpot.
Leah Murdoch-Gerics received the cheque on Thursday. She purchased the $5 “quick pick” ticket on OLG.ca for the April 19 draw.
The $60-million payout is the largest ever to be awarded to a Lotto Max jackpot winner who purchased their ticket online.
Murdoch-Gerics said she had been playing the lottery casually over the past year before the big win.
“Just one ticket is all it takes. Five bucks,” Leah Murdoch-Gerics told a room full of reporters as she was presented with the novelty cheque.
The 58-year-old Hamilton resident said she saw an email from OLG after the April 19 draw, which indicated she had won a prize.
However, she didn’t actually open the email until later.
“When I see OLG emails in my inbox, they normally say I won a Free Play ticket, but this specific email looked different,” she said.
When she did open the email to check the prize amount, she said she was “suddenly calm.”
“I didn’t know what to do next. I couldn’t really fathom this was happening to me.”
After showing the email to her husband, he initially thought she had won $60,000.
After she urged him to take a closer look, the reality of the win set in.
- Download our app to get local alerts to your device
- Get the latest local updates right to your inbox
“It was clear at that moment what he saw! We were both in shock and just stared at each other stunned in disbelief,” she said.
The self-described homemaker said the windfall is overwhelming for her and her family.
“My husband’s retired…but not for long,” Murdoch-Gerics said jokingly. “He’s got a new job now: working for me.”
She said that one of the best moments following the win was the look on her children’s faces after she delivered the news.
“It was seeing the shock on their faces when they realized that they get to enjoy all the excitement without the responsibilities,” she laughed.
Murdoch-Gerics said she understands she has to “use the money wisely” in the long-term, but plans to treat her family to a vacation in the near future.
“I don’t see any major changes in the immediate future because who knows where we will be a year from now,” she said. “This is just an emotional journey that starts with disbelief and builds into excitement. I feel so humbled and honoured to be in this place at this moment.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stormy Daniels describes meeting Trump during occasionally graphic testimony in hush money trial
Stormy Daniels took the witness stand Tuesday at Donald Trump's hush money trial, describing for jurors a sexual encounter the porn actor says she had with him in 2006 that resulted in her being paid off to keep silent during the presidential race 10 years later.
Former homicide detective explains how police will investigate shooting outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion
Footage from dozens of security cameras in the area of Drake’s Bridle Path mansion could be the key to identifying the suspect responsible for shooting and seriously injuring a security guard outside the rapper’s sprawling home early Tuesday morning, a former Toronto homicide detective says.
Jeremy Skibicki has 'uphill battle' to prove he's not criminally responsible in Winnipeg killings: legal analysts
Accused killer Jeremy Skibicki could have a challenging time convincing a judge that he is not criminally responsible for the deaths of four Indigenous women, a legal analyst says.
Bye-bye bag fee: Calgary repeals single-use bylaw
A Calgary bylaw requiring businesses to charge a minimum bag fee and only provide single-use items when requested has officially been tossed.
Air France flight from Paris to Seattle lands in Iqaluit after heat smell in cabin
A plane travelling from Paris to Seattle was forced to make an emergency landing in Iqaluit after there was a heat smell in the cabin during the flight.
CFL suspends Argos QB Chad Kelly at least nine games following investigation
The CFL suspended Toronto Argonauts quarterback Chad Kelly for at least nine regular-season games Tuesday following its investigation into a lawsuit filed by a former strength-and-conditioning coach against both the player and club.
Boy Scouts of America changing name for first time in 114 years, aiming for inclusivity
The Boy Scouts of America is changing its name for the first time in its 114-year history and will become Scouting America. It's a significant shift as the organization emerges from bankruptcy following a flood of sexual abuse claims and seeks to focus on inclusion.
RCMP not investigating possible foreign interference cases related to Chiu, Dong: Duheme
Canada's federal police force is not investigating any possible instances of foreign interference in the cases of former Conservative MP Kenny Chiu and Liberal-turned-Independent MP Han Dong, RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme says.
Federal government grants B.C.'s request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces
The federal government is granting British Columbia's request to recriminalize hard drugs in public spaces, nearly two weeks after the province asked to end its pilot project early over concerns of public drug use.