Ont. man couldn’t believe his eyes after first big lottery win

Mohammadmahdi Salehi of Newmarket, Ont. matched the last six of seven Encore numbers in exact order in the Feb. 1, 2025, Lotto 6/49 draw to win $100,000. (OLG)

Mohammadmahdi Salehi often plays the lottery, and always adds Encore, but when he scanned his Lotto 6/49 ticket for the Feb. 1 draw, he couldn’t quite process his win.

“I saw so many zeros. It felt like my brain was playing tricks on me. I asked myself, ‘Is this $1,000? $10,000?’ The longer I looked, the bigger the number got,” the Newmarket father of one said.

Salehi learned of his win by scanning his ticket on the OLG app. “I was so happy. It was a magical day,” he added.

So far, he has shared the news with his wife and daughter. “They’re both overjoyed for me.”

The Newmarket man said he has plans to invest his winnings. “I’m also going to continue buying my weekly tickets. In fact, I already have my next set in my pocket.”

Encore offers more than 20 ways to win and is offered in conjunction with most lottery games for a buck.

Salehi purchased his winning ticket at the Shell station on Lansdowne Street West in Peterborough.