Brampton man almost mistook his enormous lotto win for a free ticket

Paying close attention to email notifications proved to be the path to riches for one Brampton man, who won a six-figure prize with a fateful lottery purchase, a win he almost mistook for something much less life-changing.

Pavitar Chadha of Brampton managed to match the last six of seven ENCORE numbers in the exact order in the February 4, 2023 LOTTO 6/49 draw, taking home $100,000 on the $1 bonus game.

After purchasing his ticket from OLG.ca, Chadha initially thought that an email notification from the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) was just a free play for another draw, but it was only upon closer inspection that he realized his life, and bank statements, were both in for some big changes.

"I clicked the link and saw that I won $100,000 and couldn't believe my eyes," shared the 49-year-old while collecting his oversized novelty cheque at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

In a running theme among lotto winners, Chadha's wife thought she was the victim of a prank, and got quite the shock when she found out this was the real deal.

"I sent a screenshot to my wife and then called her," said Chadha, adding, "she thought it was a joke!"

It was far from a joke, and the family now has a healthy nest egg, which Chadha says they will put towards their kid's education and a rainy day fund.