B.C. man in ‘disbelief’ after winning $500K on lottery ticket

Armstrong resident John S. told the B.C. Lottery Corporation he is looking forward to a more comfortable retirement after matching four out of four Extra numbers from the Feb. 28 Lotto 6/49 draw. (BCLC)

A man in the Okanagan is still reeling after scanning his lottery ticket at a 7-Eleven store and discovering he had won $500,000.

Armstrong resident John S. told the B.C. Lottery Corporation he is looking forward to a more comfortable retirement after matching four out of four Extra numbers from the Feb. 28 Lotto 6/49 draw.

The lucky winner decided to use a self-scanner to check his ticket and was pleasantly surprised when he did.

“I thought it was broken,” he told the BCLC. “I was in disbelief.”

John says he couldn’t wait to share the news with his wife, who was at home when he found out about the big win.

“I told her to check the numbers on her Lotto! app. She thought I was pulling her leg,” he said.

As for what he plans to do with the winnings, John said he is going to gift some of it to his kids and pay off his mortgage.

“This is going to make retirement very nice,” he said. “It’s surreal.”

John purchased the winning ticket at the Armstrong Co-op on Okanagan Street.

In 2025, lottery players in the province redeemed more than $51 million from Extra prizes and $71 million from Lotto 6/49, according to the BCLC.