“She was in denial, and I was freaking out,” as Brampton man wins $1,000,000 lottery

A Brampton father is in disbelief after becoming the city’s newest millionaire.

Paulo Sousa is a regular Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 player from Brampton, but the 33-year-old father said was speechless when learning he’d won $1 million in the Sept. 30 Lotto Max draw.

“I think I stopped breathing. The earth stood still for a minute,” Sousa said while picking up his winnings at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.

Sousa said he needed his wife to double check the ticket numbers because he was in disbelief about the win.

“She was in denial, and I was freaking out,” he said.

The Brampton father said he plans to use the prize money to purchase a home for his family and invest in his children’s future.

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“I’m so grateful and emotional. It’s a chance to give my family a great start. It feels amazing,” he said.

OLG is booking in-person prize claim appointments at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, with prize winners between $1,000 and $49,999.90 encouraged to submit their claims online or mail them.

Submitting claims online is fast, secure and enables OLG to process the claim in a timely manner. Customers with prizes over $50,000 are asked to call 1-800-387-0098 to discuss available prize claim options.

The winning ticket was purchased at Petro Pass on Dixie Rd. in Mississauga.