A relative newcomer to Ontario lottery, man from Mississauga wins big prize

As far as playing the lottery goes, collecting a big win after only two years of buying tickets isn’t a bad deal.

Mississauga’s Artem Gavrilov likely wouldn’t argue with that. The married father of two won a second-prize amount of $182,976.20 in the June 11 Lotto 6/49 draw.

In collecting his winnings recently at the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) Prize Centre in Toronto, Gavrilov told lottery officials he’s been buying OLG tickets for two years — choosing mostly to participate in Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max draws.

“I bought this ticket as part of my regular weekly routine,” he said, adding he typically buys tickets twice a week and prefers to select his own numbers. “After the draw date, I went to the store and scanned my ticket using the ticket checker. I saw the winning amount and at first I thought there was something wrong with the machine.”

The Mississauga man, who works in industrial repair, quickly learned the lotto terminal was not malfunctioning after scanning his ticket a second time.

“I was speechless and shaking,” he recalled of his reaction after his big win was confirmed.

Gavrilov said he then called his wife to share the news.

“She was overwhelmed and had tears of joy streaming down her face. We’re both very happy about this win.”

The lucky ticket holder said he plans to help his family financially and buy a new car with the windfall.

“Being a winner feels amazing,” he smiled.

The winning ticket was purchased at Smit Convenience, on Saint Barbara Boulevard in Mississauga.

(Cover photo: OLG)