"My hands were shaky": 39-year-old business owner stunned by lottery win

A lottery win is going to go a long way for one business owner in Ontario.

Mississauga resident Oksana Sopotnytska is a 39-year-old mother of three who says that she plays the lottery twice a month and that her favourite game is Lotto 6/49, which costs $3 per play. In January 2023, she purchased a ticket from Circle K on Dundas Street in Etobicoke.

After the draw, she decided to scan her ticket using her phone.

Oksana Sopotnytska/OLG

“When I checked my ticket on the OLG App and saw $207,783.80 – I couldn’t believe it!” she recalled.

Naturally, she wanted to tell her loved ones but was having trouble processing the news.

“I tried to call my husband but my hands were shaky, so I sent him a screenshot.”

Sopotnytska was thrilled to learn that her favourite game won her the Lotto 6/49 second prize worth $207,783.80 in the January 25, 2023, draw.

While at the OLG Prize Centre to pick up her winnings, she said she’ll be using the money for her daughter’s education. She and her husband will also be celebrating their 20th anniversary by going on a trip. As for the rest of the money, Sopotnytska will be using it to invest in her family’s future.

“We would like to explore Canada, help expand my family business, and save the rest,” she said.