Lottery ticket forgotten in a bag turns Canadians into multimillionaires
A Canadian couple is still in shock after discovering that a $3 lottery ticket had changed their lives forever.
Lottery players Filippos and Evangelia T. of Barrie, Ont., have been married for almost 50 years. The couple works together running their own restaurant, and says they both enjoy playing a variety of lottery games.
One day, while at a local convenience store, they purchased a Daily Grand ticket for just $3. Evangelia put the ticket away in her bag, where it remained buried in her belongings.
“I almost forgot about this ticket! It was a normal day, and I was getting ready for a shift at the restaurant when I noticed it sitting in my bag,” she recalled.
She then checked the ticket, and when she saw that their numbers matched, Evangelia said that her heart started to race.
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“I kept looking back and forth between the ticket and the screen because I thought I had to be reading the numbers wrong,” she said. “I remember thinking, ‘This can’t actually be happening — I think we just won big!'”
So she called her husband over and asked him to double-check, and recalled the moment when she saw his eyes widen in surprise.
“I was very emotional, excited, and shocked,” Filippos said. “We both stood there feeling completely stunned and grateful.”
The couple had won big in the Daily Grand April 27, 2026, draw, scoring the $1,000 a day for life top prize. Rather than regular payments, the couple chose a lump sum, making them instantly $7 million richer.
Evangelia said she showed the ticket to a friend who assumed they had won $1,000. When she realized they had won the top prize, “her jaw nearly dropped to the floor.”
The couple called each of their children one by one to share the happy news.
“Every single one of their reactions was priceless,” said Filippos. “Hearing the excitement in their voices is something we’ll never forget.”
While at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, the couple shared their plans now that they have $7 million in the bank. They said that they want to invest for the future, share their winnings with their children, and renovate their kitchen.
“Winning big is such an incredible feeling,” said Evangelia. “It honestly feels like we’re living in a dream.”
Filippos shared the same sentiments, adding, “It’s surreal to think this one small ticket could completely change our lives.”
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.