Brampton lottery winner thought her $2.5 million prize haul was all just a prank

How would you process the bombshell realization that you just won $2.5 million dollars?

One Ontario resident reacted in literal disbelief upon winning the LOTTO 6/49 Classic Jackpot, assuming that the big win was all just an elaborate prank staged by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).

Nancy Gardner of Brampton struck rich with the October 26, 2022 draw, winning one of two tickets that split a $5 million jackpot, purchased at her local INS Market location on Main Street.

The life-changing win comes after Gardiner — a retiree — had been playing the same numbers for years, but she wasn't 100 per cent convinced at first that her stubborn consistency had finally paid off.

"I checked the winning numbers on OLG.ca and thought OLG was playing a prank on me – I was shaking. I couldn't believe it!" said Gardiner when collecting her prize at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

Luckily, this was the real deal, and Gardiner walked away, cheque in hand, for a substantial sum, roughly 25 times the Brampton annual household income and enough to buy two homes based on the local average home price, while still having a healthy half-million bucks left over.

Gardiner indeed plans to purchase a home with a share of her winnings, while also using a share of her newfound wealth to help out her family during these uncertain economic times.

Friends and family were just as shocked as Gardiner upon learning of her winning prize haul. Gardiner says, "My niece was crying when I told her," in what was undoubtedly a pretty emotional moment for her loved ones.