TORONTO, ON – Saying “yes” to ENCORE paid off for Richard McInnis of Kenmore. He matched all seven ENCORE numbers in exact order in the May 6, 2025 LOTTO MAX draw to win $1 million!

Richard, a food service manager, has been playing the lottery with OLG for over 20 years. His game of choice is LOTTO MAX, and he only plays when the jackpot exceeds $25 million. Richard uses OLG’s Quick Pick feature to make his selections and always says ‘yes’ to ENCORE. The father and grandfather is now thrilled to share the story of his first big win.

“I woke up at 4 a.m. to use the bathroom, and on my way back to bed, I thought, ‘Hmm, I wonder if anyone won the $75 million LOTTO MAX jackpot.’ One by one, I checked my tickets, and the last one left me in shock,” Richard recounted, while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to claim his winnings.

“I said to myself, ‘Holy cow! This is unreal!’ I had to check my ticket about 20 times,” Richard said with a laugh.

Still in disbelief, he asked a friend to confirm what he was seeing. “I showed him my phone and said, ‘Check this and tell me what it says.’ His jaw nearly hit the floor when he looked at it. Then he shouted, ‘Richard, you’re a millionaire!’”

Soon after, Richard told his close family about his unexpected windfall. “Everyone was so happy for me, and my brother asked me why I’m still working,” he chuckled.

When asked how it feels to win the lottery, Richard said, “I still can’t believe this actually happened — it’s just unreal. I don’t think it’ll fully set in until the money’s in my bank account.”With his winnings, Richard plans to pay off bills, buy his brother a car, and invest. “This win will definitely make retirement easier,” he concluded.

ENCORE offers 22 ways to win and can be played in conjunction with most lottery games for an extra $1. There are two ENCORE draws every day.

The winning ticket was purchased at Shoppers Drug Mart on Memorial Avenue in Thunder Bay.

OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game. That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with our globally recognized PlaySmart program.

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