‘Surreal and overwhelming’: Alberta mother wins $461K on lottery

An Alberta woman is celebrating after scoring big on Lightning Lotto.

Gail Olsen won a whopping $461,007 on the May 25 draw.

Olsen, who lives in Hanna, Alta., says she was encouraged to buy a ticket by her daughter.

“(She) loves watching the jackpot grow,” Olsen said.

“It’s a new game, so we were both excited when we saw how high the jackpot had gotten.”

Olsen is now the biggest Lightning Lotto winner in the province.

She purchased her ticket at the Westview Co-op gas bar in Hanna, and won her prize by matching all five numbers selected for the draw: 3, 10, 37, 41 and 48. 

“The cashier watched [the ticket] print and looked at me with a big smile,” she said.

“He said, ‘I don’t think anything is going to beat this,’ and then showed me the win.”

Olsen said she saw the number and started shaking.

“I don’t think it sunk in right away, but my daughter was saying, ‘Mom, mom you’ve won!'”

Olsen says her plans for the money include fixing up her house and yard.

“It feels surreal and overwhelming,” she said. “I heard the lightning sound but didn’t fully understand. It was such a fun way to win!”