Upon discovering he scored $500,000 playing the Extra during the August 31, 2022, Lotto 6/49 draw, Lorne Hradecki was in denial for a full 24 hours before reality hit that his win was real.
“I thought, ‘that can’t be right,’” he recalled. “I went through the whole day in disbelief!”
The Kelowna resident first shared the news with a friend after checking his ticket on BCLC’s Lotto! App as well as a self-checker at Your Independent Grocer on Gordon Drive where he purchased the ticket.
“I took a screenshot when I got home from work to show my friend and he thought I was messing with him. I also told my uncle — he believed me and offered some practical advice.”
The lottery winner said he will be doing some planning to “make the most of the win” and looks forward to taking a vacation or two after purchasing a new car.
Hradecki says it feels “fantastic” to win a prize of this amount mixed with feelings of “relief”.
So far in 2022, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $31 million in winnings from the Extra and more than $94 million in winnings from Lotto 6/49. Say ‘Yes’ to the Extra for the chance to win up to $500,000. The Extra is available with Daily Grand, Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, and BC/49 at any BCLC lottery retailer or at PlayNow.com.
BCLC offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income to benefit all British Columbians. Remember, play for fun, not to make money. For more information, visit GameSense.com.
