Roueintan Avali had reached the bottom of his pile of lottery tickets when he realized he was on top of the world.
The Coquitlam resident was checking his stash of tickets at the local Shoppers Drug Mart when the last one came up a winner — the $500,000 Extra prize from the March 1, 2024, Lotto Max draw.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Avali said of his newfound fortune. “I had to check again.”
He did, then called his mother, who was also disbelieving.
“I had to repeat it twice to her,” said Avali, who bought his winning ticket at a Circle K variety store in Burnaby.
An avid weekend warrior who plays soccer, swims and hikes, Avali said the windfall will allow him “to focus on financial security for the future” as well as travel.
So far this year, lottery players in British Columbia have won more than $18 million in Extra prizes and over $54 million from Lotto Max draws.
