Canadian debated if $65M Lotto Max win was good enough reason to wake up wife
An Ontario lottery player woke up a brand-new multimillionaire after a life-changing Lotto Max win.
Newmarket resident Mark Hanley was excited to tell his wife and adult children that he’d hit the $65-million Lotto Max jackpot from the March 28 draw. However, his two attempts to break the amazing news â first to his wife and then to his children â didn’t quite land how he’d hoped.
The experience has become a core memory for Hanley and his family.
OLG
The dad was up early, enjoying his breakfast, when he decided to check his Lotto Max ticket, completely unaware of the surprise that awaited him. He likes to check the winning lottery numbers one by one on the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s (OLG) site.
After matching three numbers, Hanley began to pay closer attention to what he was doing. Then came four⊠five⊠and six. Finally, he matched all seven numbers, but didnât grasp exactly what this meant.
âIâve been playing the lottery for 30 years, and when I counted all seven numbers, I was disappointed that I didnât match the bonus number,â Hanley recounted during his OLG Winner Celebration in Toronto.
âThen I realized there are only seven numbers with Lotto Max, and I got the big one! When I saw there was only one winner and the jackpot was $65 million, I started jumping for joy, saying, ‘Touchdown!’â
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His wife was still asleep at the time, so he silently debated whether this was an important enough reason to wake her up.
“I decided to share the news by saying, âHoney, do you want to kiss a millionaire?â Funny enough, she sternly said, âNo,â and tried to go back to sleep,â he recalled.
Mark convinced his wife to get out of bed and meet him downstairs so he could show her his winning ticket.
âShe looked at the ticket and thought, âSo what…?â So, I told her to go take a shower to fully wake up. When she came back, the reality of this win started to settle in, and she began crying tears of joy,â said Hanley.
The retired business software analyst and his wife decided to tell their children the spectacular news face to face. His wife struggled to keep the tears from flowing.
âWe called to make sure they were home, and I said to my wife, âDonât tell them anything â just say weâre coming over.â When they answered the phone and my wife started to talk, she began crying again. She said, âWeâre coming to see you⊠I canât tell you why⊠but everythingâs alright.ââ Hanley started laughing and said, âOh good, now they think someone died!â
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When the couple got to their children’s house, Hanley’s wife asked him if he could hold her coffee so her hands would be free to give them a hug.
“Then she started to cry again,â Hanley smiled.
Their children were overcome with emotion when they were finally told the great news. âI felt so good to tell them, and itâs a dream come true to now be able to provide for them in so many incredible ways!â
Hanley also plans to surprise other immediate family members with a portion of his Lotto Max windfall.
âTheyâre probably not going to believe it at first because you donât expect someone to suddenly come out of the blue and give you a gift like this,” he said.
The retiree plans to check things off his bucket list, starting with travelling the world to eat his favourite cuisines.
“I want to go to Italy, and especially France. I love French bread, French wine, and⊠oh my, French cheese!â
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He also mentioned another aspiration that may be out of reach, despite having $65 million in his bank account.
âI want to buy a castle, but wife wonât let me,â he laughed.
Hanley says it will take some time before the reality of hitting the Lotto Max jackpot truly sinks in.
âThe Lotto Max commercials say, âDream Bigger,â but I still havenât quite gotten that in my head,” he said. “I always dreamt of winning a couple of million, but this amount is just baffling! I just feel so grateful and blessed that this win came my way.â
Hanley bought the winning lottery ticket at New Town Variety on Yonge Street in Newmarket.
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.