Man wins $65 million lottery jackpot in Ontario from quick pick

Mohit Sharma is relatively new to playing the lottery.

He started buying tickets during the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020, which gave him a routine and something to look forward to.

He set a budget and bought Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 tickets each week.

Sharma never picked his own numbers and ultimately it is one of those quick picks that led to him winning a massive jackpot.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced Thursday that the Etobicoke resident won $65 million in the Oct. 15, 2024 Lotto max draw.

READ MORE: $5 million jackpot, several other big lottery prizes won in Ontario

“I don’t pick the numbers, so knowing that a random number that the lottery computer picked for me (was) the winner — and my name was on that ticket — is just unbelievable,” he said.

Sharma checks his lottery tickets soon after the draw takes place and for this particular one, he heard on the news that the winner was sold in Etobicoke.

“I had a couple of tickets in a drawer, so I set up the tickets on the table and started scanning them using the OLG app,” he said.

“The first ticket I scanned was the winner. I couldn’t believe it and my heart started pounding. My phone screen lit up as the words ‘Big Winner’ flashed across the screen I thought to myself, ‘I guess that person I heard about on the news was me.”

Sharma was stunned and went for a walk to clear his head. When he got back, he scanned the ticket again just to be sure. Next, he began looking up how to claim the prize.

He also wanted to tell his immediate family about the win, but they were travelling at the time and he didn’t want to disrupt their trips.

When they got back, he gathered his family and shared the news.

“To say they were shocked is an understatement,” Sharma said.

“I had to pinch a couple of them to prove it was real. It was an emotional moment with lots of trembling hands and elevated heart rates all around.”

They celebrated with a bottle of champagne.

Sharma has plenty of plans with his winnings. First on his list: taking care of his family.

“The best part of winning the lottery is that me and my family are financially free. We don’t have to plan or save for holidays or vacations,” he said.

“If I want to travel now, I can. If I want to buy something, I can.”

He also is looking into giving back to his community and supporting causes that he cares about deeply.

Sharma said he loves to read and learn and is considering going back to school for another degree or diploma.

A big plan he also has: travelling on some of the world’s “luxurious and exotic trains.”

“I want to go to Japan to experience one of the world’s fastest trains The Shinkansen. I also want to travel on The Indian Pacific that goes from Sydney to Perth, Australia. The famous Orient Express is another on the top of my list, too,” he said.

“I’m excited to see more of Canada when I hop on The Canadian, from Toronto to Vancouver. In addition, I want to ride The Caledonia Sleeper, which crisscrosses the United Kingdom. This is what will excite me the most.”

He bought the winning ticket in Etobicoke at Lakeshore Mini Mart on Lakeshore Boulevard West.

Images via OLG