'Thought it was a glitch': B.C. lotto winner shocked by number of zeroes

This photo provided by the BC Lottery Corporation shows Susan Hoce, who won $1 million in the Nov. 18, 2023 draw.

A B.C. woman who thought she may have won a relatively modest jackpot got a life-changing surprise once she realized exactly how many zeroes she was looking at.

Susan Hoce, from Abbotsford, was at the local legion when she realized she'd won something in the Nov. 18 draw, but it took a minute for her to grasp that she'd won $1 million.

“I didn’t know what to think!” Hoce told the BC Lottery Corporation.

“I couldn’t see the numbers properly and thought it was a glitch. It didn’t make any sound and I thought maybe $1,000 or $10,000!”

She says also says she feels "blessed" that this windfall will allow her to pay off her mortgage and retire.

The odds of winning the $5 million Lotto 6/49 jackpot by matching all six numbers are one in nearly 14 million. The odds of winning the $1 million gold ball jackpot depend on the total number of tickets sold across the country.