MONCTON (N.B.) – It was Derrek Barton’s birthday when he stopped at the store for milk and purchased his regular Lotto 6/49 tickets for the week. In the days that followed, the Harvey Station, N.B. man heard a lot of local discussion about someone in York County winning a $1-million prize following the Jan. 6 draw, but he never dreamed it could actually be him.

In fact, three days had passed since the news of the area’s big win broke before Barton’s partner Jean finally convinced him to go to the store and check his tickets.

“When the lady at the store checked the tickets, she looked up at me and her colour just drained,” Barton said. “She said, ‘Oh my goodness,’ and congratulated me, telling me I won a lot of money, so I thought I won $1,000 and that was pretty great.”

It was difficult for Barton to process the fact that he had actually won $1 million, and even more difficult to convince his partner and his daughter that he was York County’s newest millionaire.

“I never dreamt it would be possible, it hasn’t really even sunk in,” Barton said. “I know it’s real, but I guess I’m just over-the-top happy.”

Lotto 6/49 draws take place every Wednesday and Saturday with two multi-million jackpots available to be won. The classic jackpot is always set at $5 million and the Gold Ball jackpot starts at $10 million and can grow past $60 million. The Gold Ball draw guarantees a winning ticket on every draw, with the winner taking home $1 million if a white ball is drawn or the growing Gold Ball jackpot when a gold ball is drawn. A white ball was drawn on Jan. 6, leading to Barton’s $1-million win.

Barton, who works as a snowplow operator for the province of New Brunswick, likes his work and his co-workers so he plans to continue working, but said his win will set them up for the future and to never have a financial worry again. He also plans to purchase a side-by-side with the prize money.

“I’ve had a lot of friends and co-workers congratulate me and be so happy for me and that was very overwhelming for me,” Barton said. “The things people said, it’s very nice to hear and it really meant a lot to me.”

A Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball Jackpot prize worth $64 million sold in Gloucester County, N.B. for the April 15, 2023 remains unclaimed. The prize is set to expire on April 15, 2024, in which case the funds would be redistributed to players in the form of future prizing.

Barton purchased his winning Lotto 6/49 ticket at Fen’s Market in Harvey, N.B. The retailer will receive a one per cent seller’s prize.
 

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Media contact:
Lindsay Meekins
Atlantic Lottery Public Relations Strategist
506-431-6466
lindsay.meekins@alc.ca

Backgrounder: About Lotto 6/49

• Lotto 6/49 holds draws every Wednesday and Saturday with two multi-million jackpots available to be won.
  
  
• Each $3 ticket includes one Classic Draw selection of six numbers players can choose or use Insta Pik to have the numbers selected for them, and a 10-digit computer generated Gold Ball Draw number.
  
  
• The Classic Jackpot is always set at $5 million.
  
  
• The Gold Ball Jackpot starts at $10 million and can grow past $60 million.
  
  
• The Gold Ball draw guarantees a winning ticket on every draw. The winner of the Gold Ball draw will take home either $1 million, or the growing Gold Ball jackpot.
  
  
• For $1 each, players can add TAG and Atlantic 49. These add-on games give you additional chances to win and are only available in Atlantic Canada.