Virginia Zapanta of Scarborough Wins $1M Lotto Max Prize on 83rd Birthday
For Virginia Zapanta of Scarborough, turning 83 came with an unforgettable surprise—a $1 million MaxMillions win from the April 25, 2025 Lotto Max draw. A loyal lottery player for over 40 years, Virginia discovered her life-changing prize on her birthday after casually buying a ticket at a mall kiosk.
A Birthday Surprise Worth a Million
Virginia says she almost didn’t buy a ticket that day. “I was on my way out and saw a kiosk, so I stopped to grab a ticket,” she said during her recent visit to the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto.
She had the ticket scanned a few days later—on April 29, her birthday—and couldn’t believe her eyes.
“When I saw the prize amount on the screen, I froze. My heart started racing. I asked, ‘Is this real? This can’t be real!’”
The moment was made even more joyful when she told her friends. “They started dancing around me,” she recalled. “They’re all so happy for me.”
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A Lifetime of Playing Finally Pays Off
Virginia shared that she’s been a devoted Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 player for decades. She always uses Quick Pick and never skips a draw. Until now, her biggest prizes were a few free plays and the occasional $5.
“This is hands down one of my favourite birthdays ever. 83 is my year,” she said with a beaming smile. “I feel incredibly grateful to be an OLG winner.”
Plans for the Prize
Virginia Zapanta says she plans to share her winnings with family, pay off her mortgage, and treat herself to a shopping spree at the very mall where she bought the winning ticket—a full-circle moment.
Virginia’s lucky ticket was purchased at the Gateway Lotto Centre on Tapscott Road in Scarborough.
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If you won the lottery on your birthday, what’s the first thing you’d do?
More…
- https://www.toronto.com/news/scarborough-lottery-birthday-lottomax/article_aa3e56c2-407d-5d89-a9a8-9cf93b842a68.html
- https://www.ctvnews.ca/toronto/article/83-is-my-year-scarborough-senior-wins-1m-lotto-max-prize-on-her-birthday
- https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/83-is-my-year-scarborough-woman-takes-home-1m-lotto-max-prize-on-her-birthday/article_912c9bf3-4867-46f8-8462-ffb2b49ed6ec.html
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