Mom buys her 5 kids lottery tickets for Christmas — daughter waits months before finding out she won $7 million
“It could have gone to any one of us," said Meghan Petaske, after her delayed Christmas miracle.
Meghan Petaske received a life-changing Christmas gift in December 2023, in the form of a Daily Grand lottery ticket from her mother.
Petaske and her partner, Cody Rudiger, decided to let the ticket sit for several months before finally deciding to check it in March 2024. To their surprise, the Calgary couple had been holding on to a lucky $7 million Daily Grand ticket the entire time.
“Every year my mom puts together Christmas baskets with lottery tickets and other stuff for all of the siblings,” said Petaske while claiming the prize in St. Albert., Alta.
“There’s five of us so it could have gone to any one of us!”
The initial shock of winning such a substantial amount was overwhelming for the couple. At first, they weren’t sure of how large their prize was.
“We had to get a printout and put the commas in the right places — we couldn’t believe it!” said Petaske.
The $7 million windfall presents a multitude of opportunities for the couple. They are already making long-term plans for their unexpected fortune. Petaske and Rudiger, both of whom are still processing their emotions, now have the means to buy their dream house.
“We can’t get over the wonderful timing. We’re just starting out in life, and we’ll be able to pay off student loans and really invest in our future,” said Petaske. “It’s emotional for me. I never thought I would own a house and now … well, it’s a reality now!”
Rudiger agreed, emphasizing their commitment to financial responsibility.
“We’re both pretty financially responsible,” said Rudiger. “We don’t want to get 10 years down the road and all the money’s gone!”
While buying a house, and financial planning are both a priority, the couple also plans to have some fun with their winnings. They also plan to share some of their winnings with their families and give back to their communities.
“We talked about travelling in the past,” said Rudiger. “Greece, Spain, all through Europe would be amazing.”
The winning ticket was purchased by Petaske’s mother from The Shoppers Drug Mart at 171-31 Southridge Drive in Okotoks, as part of a $20 Triple Pack.
Triple Pack offers players a chance to try out three popular games simultaneously. Each $20 pack includes one Daily Grand ticket with two quick pick selections, one Lotto Max ticket with three quick pick selections, and one Lotto 6/49 ticket with two pick selections, with each ticket including Extra. These packs are available at all Lotto Spot retail locations.
For Petaske and Rudiger, their Daily Grand ticket turned out to be worth a staggering $7 million — the largest prize you can win with Daily Grand. They matched five out of five numbers plus the bonus number in exact order to claim their prize. The winning numbers were 6,12,15, 29, 48 and a Bonus of 5.
Daily Grand is a nationwide $3 per play game, with a draw every Monday and Thursday. Each play includes a selection of five main numbers and one grand number. If players match five out of five numbers in exact order, plus the grand number, they win $1,000 a day for life, or can opt for the $7,000,000 lump sum. Your odds of winning differ depending on how many numbers you match.
Winners who have scored big with Daily Grand, like Petaske and Rudiger, have typically opted to go with the lump sum option.
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