Calgary trio winners of $50M Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot
Posted Feb 7, 2024 11:53 am.
Last Updated Feb 7, 2024 11:57 am.
Three friends and former co-workers from Calgary have been announced as the winners of the $50 million LOTTO 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot, the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) said Wednesday.
Carmen Austria, Gary Perkins, and Catherine Wall are sharing the prize won on the Dec. 9 draw.
“We’ve been friends for over 20 years and started buying tickets together 17 years ago,” Perkins said during the group’s prize claim interview. “Buying tickets was just a fun thing for us to do; winning together is what makes it so special.”
All three plan to spend their $16.6 million share in similar ways, they told the WCLC.
“We’re going to share with our families,” said Austria. “I want my family to know they can relax and enjoy their time — I’m going to take care of them!”
“I haven’t been able to get too far past just sharing with family,” Perkins added. “It’s hard to wrap your head around this much money!”
The trio reportedly described the win feeling like “freedom, peace, and joy.”
RELATED: Calgarian lucky winner in December Lotto 6/49 draw
“[Winning] came with so many emotions,” explained Wall. “I don’t think anything prepares you for that much emotion. And now, I just feel happy and grateful — it’s amazing.”
Austria bought the group’s winning ticket for $10 from the Scenic Acres Husky at 116 Scenic Acres Boulevard in Calgary.
The WCLC says the winning selection for the December 9 Gold Ball draw was: 25957733-01 and the group won an additional $2 on the night’s EXTRA draw.
Austria, Perkins, and Wall are the first LOTTO 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot winners and Alberta.
LOTTO 6/49 was relaunched in Septembner 2022, the WCLC says, which introduced two multi-million jackpots on every draw.
Since the game was revamped in 2022, Albertans have taken home eight $1 million Gold Ball jackpot prizes and won or shared in six Classic Jackpots of $5 million.
In total, Albertans have claimed prizes of $1 million or more, totaling more than $89 million since September 2022.
