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Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot: First-time ticket-buying teen makes Canadian history with $48 million

"I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy a lottery ticket for fun,” Juliette Lamour from Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., said

Juliette Lamour of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., $48 million Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot winner from the January 7, 2023 draw (OLG)
Juliette Lamour of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., $48 million Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot winner from the January 7, 2023 draw (OLG)

First-time lottery player, an 18-year-old Ontario university student, won the $48 million Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball jackpot, the youngest Canadian to ever win a jackpot of this size.

"I just turned 18 and my grandfather suggested I buy a lottery ticket for fun,” Juliette Lamour from Sault Ste. Marie said during a winner’s celebration at OLG Headquarters

“When I went to the store, I wasn’t sure what to ask for because I had never bought a ticket before, so I called my dad who told me to buy a Lotto 6/49 Quick Pick. I still can’t believe I hit the GOLD BALL jackpot on my very first lottery ticket!”

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Lamour actually forgot about the ticket she purchased until news spread that the winning $48 million ticket was purchased in Sault Ste. Marie. Her co-worker checked her ticket on the OLG app, and that's when the "Winner/Gagnant" jingle started playing.

“My colleague fell to his knees in disbelief," Lamour said. "He was yelling, in fact everyone was yelling that I won $48 million!"

"I didn’t understand what was going on at first. I couldn’t process this news. We kind of made a scene in the store that day!”

Lamour then called home to share the great news.

“Because I was crying – happy tears – of course, my mom couldn’t understand what was going on," she said. "Thankfully my dad was able to piece together that I won the lottery jackpot! I knew I couldn’t focus on work and my boss told me I could go home, but my mom wanted me to stay and finish my shift!"

"My colleagues called out ‘come and get her,’ and my parents eventually came to pick me up.”

Lamour, taking guidance from her father who is a financial planner, will be investing most of her money but continues to pursue her dream to become a doctor in Northern Ontario.

“I wanted to go to medical school before winning the lottery," she said. "Now I can pursue this dream without worrying about grants or loans."

"As a member the Garden River First Nation community, I was eligible for educational assistance programs, but I no longer need those resources which means someone else in the community can benefit from that funding. I really want to come back to this area as a doctor so I can give back to my community.”

For more immediate plans, Lamour plans to take some "summer adventures."

“Once school is done, my family and I will pick a continent and start exploring," she said.

"I am not a ''sit on the beach' type of person. I want to experience different countries, study their history and culture, try their food, and listen to their language.”

The winning Lotto 6/49 ticket was purchased at Circle K on McNabb Street in Sault Ste. Marie.

Tools to stop gambling

If you're looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.