Richard Z. was relaxing at home, when he saw that someone won the Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball Jackpot with a ticket purchased in Quesnel. That prompted him to check his ticket, where he learned that he won the $46-million jackpot from the December 20, 2025 draw.
“The ticket was only visually validated,” shared Richard. “I checked the BCLC website and had an inkling I may have the winning ticket. When it said it was the Gold Ball, that’s when the overwhelming feelings set in; knowing that out of everyone in Canada, I had the ticket that won $46 million.”
The Quesnel resident first shared the news of his win with his wife.
“At first, there were tears of joy. It was overwhelming!”
With his windfall, Richard plans to travel and “move forward slowly.”
“My wife and I want to do some travelling and I want to see the pyramids! We want to experience and enjoy stress free trips.”
On how it feels to win?
“It feels great. We want to live the life we live now and still want to keep our lives simple!”
The winning ticket was purchased at Billy Barker Casino in Quesnel.
Richard completed his prize claim at BCLC’s Kamloops office on October 16, 2026.
So far in 2026, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $135 million in winnings from Lotto 6/49.
Lotto 6/49 is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays after 7:30 p.m. (PST). The Gold Ball Draw is a guaranteed prize draw where players will win either the Guaranteed Prize of $1 million, or the growing Gold Ball Jackpot that starts at $10 million. The Classic Jackpot offers a prize that is always $5 million.
Players can purchase tickets at lottery retailers or at PlayNow.com. Winning numbers and group release forms can be found online at www.bclc.com. Players can check their lottery tickets anytime, anywhere on iOS and Android devices. Learn more about the BCLC Lotto! Mobile App here.
BCLC offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income to benefit all British Columbians. Players can visit PlayNow.com to learn how to set time and money limits. For more information on tools and resources to encourage healthy play, visit GameSense.com.
