Canadian lottery winner plans another vacation after THIRD win in under a year
Winning the lottery is hard to do, and one Canadian has done it not once, not twice, but THREE times — all in less than a year, too.
David Serkin of Lethbridge, Alta., won a cool $500,000 on the August 20 Lotto Max draw and $1 million on the November 16 Lotto 6/49 draw.
Serkin recently netted his third lottery win in under a calendar year, claiming another $1-million prize on the May 3 Lotto 6/49 Classic draw!
This brings Serkin’s grand total to $2.5 million in winnings in fewer than nine months. It’s also his fourth lottery winner overall, netting $250,000 after a win more than a decade ago.
“I know the odds are astronomical,” Serkin laughed while speaking to the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC). “I don’t think it’ll happen again, but I still like buying tickets.”
The WCLC says the odds of winning the Lotto Max jackpot or a Maxmillions prize are both one in 33,294,800.
The odds for the Gold Ball Draw are determined for each draw by the total number of selections issued across Canada.
Serkin won his $1-million prize on the May 3 Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball draw with the selection: 24645097-05, a white ball.
Serkin told the WCLC he has been playing since Lotto 6/49 launched in 1982, and has enjoyed the process of buying and checking his tickets over the years.
“You check your ticket, and if you win, you’re happy. If you don’t, you can always try again,” he said. “I’m a cancer survivor and I’m retired, so I am just grateful for all of it.”
He added that he bought the ticket while buying gas, and that he saw the Gold Ball draw was getting close to the final ball selection and figured he should pull the trigger and try and net it.
Serkin’s wins have his wife and friends gobsmacked.
WCLC
“I went for coffee with the boys after I checked my ticket,” he said. “They asked to see it and said, ‘Not again?!’”
His wife is still in disbelief, but Serkin says they’ve enjoyed the ride together so far. He treated her to a trip to Hawaii with his last win, and now they are planning a trip out to Newfoundland.
Serkin purchased his winning ticket from Shell Lethbridge at 2440 Fairway Plaza Rd. S. in Lethbridge.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, check out these resources.