MONCTON (N.B.) – Heather and Alex McLean of Campbellton, N.B. were enjoying a quiet summer in their camping trailer in Miramichi when the news broke that someone in the area had won a $1-million Gold Ball draw prize on the Sept. 17 Lotto 6/49 draw.

Heather had thought someone else won due to some comments she read on social media, but decided later the following evening, she should check her tickets just to be certain.

“I scanned the ticket and all these balloons and everything kept coming out of the phone and it said, ‘Major win’ and to contact this number,” Heather said.

Not fully comprehending what she was seeing, Heather immediately consulted Alex.

“When it came up, she said to me, ‘What’s this?’ and I asked her to make sure she was on the correct website to make sure it wasn’t some sort of scam.”

The couple finally got their answer when they called Atlantic Lottery’s Customer Care Centre and had their big win confirmed.

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 Sept. 17, 2025 leading to the McLeans’ $1-million win.

“Most people probably take a lifetime to earn this much money in wages, it just doesn’t sink in easily,” Alex said. “Our pensions are like a creek and this million dollars hits you like a tsunami.”

Plans for their winnings include sharing with family, making some upgrades to their trailer and buying new furniture for their home. While the couple has no immediate travel plans, they do look forward to flying first class when they take their next trip.

The McLeans purchased their winning ticket at the King Street Circle K in Miramichi, N.B. The retailer will receive a one per cent seller’s prize.

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.