2024-08-09

MONCTON (N.B.) – A recent trip to the grocery store was nothing out of the ordinary for Stuart Melvin of Saint John, N.B. until he decided to end the excursion by purchasing some lottery tickets. That ordinary trip became anything but when he had the cashier scan his tickets from the previous week and learned that he won the Gold Ball draw prize from the July 27, 2024 Lotto 6/49 draw worth $1 million.

“I thought I had won $2 on TAG and never thought more about it,” Melvin said. “I was just looking at the regular numbers, Atlantic 49 and 6/49. I didn’t think to check the other number on the ticket.”

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 July 27, 2024 leading to Melvin’s $1-million win.

Melvin first shared the news of his big win with his sister. While Melvin isn’t usually a practical joker, his sister was in such disbelief over his $1-million prize, she thought a prank was the only logical explanation.

“It doesn’t feel real at all,” Melvin said. “I’m just going to sit back now and relax a little while.”

Melvin plans to eventually purchase a new home with his prize money and said much of what is left will be going to charity.

Melvin is the fourth New Brunswicker to claim a prize of $1 million or more on Lotto 6/49 so far in 2024, including Merel Chiasson of Bas-Caraquet who claimed his $64-million Gold Ball Jackpot prize in April.

Melvin purchased his winning ticket at Shawn’s Variety in Saint John, 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.