Stopping for gas leads to $1 million lottery win for Mississauga man

Most people aren’t pleased with the rising cost of gas, but a recent trip to the pump actually turned out to be a profitable experience for Mississauga’s Ramthas Rasalingam — to the tune of $1 million.

The 40-year-old delivery driver, who says he plays the lottery every time he fills up his gas tank, lucked into the winning Encore numbers in the Sept. 9 Lotto 6/49 draw.

His numbers matched all seven of the winning Encore numbers in exact order.

Rasalingam, who’s played the lotto for more than 10 years, said he didn’t check his winning ticket via the OLG app until nearly two weeks after the draw.

“I couldn’t believe what I saw. I was glued to my phone all night looking at the screen to make sure it was real,” he shared while at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings.

When he told his family and friends about his win, Rasalingam said some believed him while others thought he was joking.

The lucky winner added that he plans to pay off his mortgage and relax in the wake of his good fortune.

“I’ll take things slow and decide my next steps in 2024. I’m just beyond happy and grateful; I always dreamed of winning, but never in my life did I think I could win something like this,” he said.