Alberta Scores Trio of Biggest Lottery Payouts
It pays to be a resident of Alberta, Canada, after this week's Lotto 649 lottery jackpot was found to be from the province yet again, proving that an Alberta lottery jackpot hat trick was after all on the cards.
The Lotto 649 draw on Wednesday, November 14, saw the third richest prize in the lottery's history up for grabs, and the lucky winners, Duane and Joanne Thompson of Lethbridge came forward later in the week to collect their prize, after winning $45.6 million.
As such, Alberta holds the record for being the home to the winners of the lottery's top three jackpots in history.
A spokesperson for Western Canada Lottery, Andrea Marantz said that she was thrilled about the fact that the province of Alberta can now boast that it has paid out the three biggest lottery jackpots in Canada so far.
"It's fantastic," she said on the day of the win. "But there's no rhyme or reason. It's the luck of the draw."
The winning numbers on Wednesday's Lotto 649 draw were: 15, 20, 39, 36, 38, 42 and bonus number 37.
The top Lotto 649 payout in history was the $54.3 million claimed by 17 Camrose oilpatch workers in 2005. This was followed by the 2009 win by 13 Edmonton Alberta Treasury Branch co-workers who took down a $49.8 million prize.
Recent Lottery Winner "Incoherent"
The latest Lotto 649 winners, Duane and Joanne Thompson were absolutely stunned and "humbled" by their good fortune.
Duane recalled how his wife called him to work, speaking in an "incoherent" way, telling him over and over again, "We won the lotto".
Joanne said that it was only when the lottery clerk scanned the ducat for her, did she realize how much money she had actually won.
The couple say that they plan to retire and will dedicate themselves to helping out family and causes close to their heart.
The reality of their big win still hasn't sunk in, but the couple admit: "It's a good thing, a blessing, but it's also a responsibility."
Last Minute Lottery Wins
When the Thompsons didn't come forward immediately to claim their winnings, there was speculation that the winner wasn't even aware of his or her good fortune.
Western Canada Lottery said that it was not unheard of for close calls to happen, and for winners to claim their prizes at the last minute.
Last year, for example, a woman from Calgary hadn't checked her lottery tickets and it was only when she was cleaning out her old purse before throwing it away did she discover a dated ticket.
"She'd put the old one back in a closet but checked it three weeks before its expiry date," said Marantz. The woman narrowly missed out on winning more than $3 million!
