What started out as a simple lottery quickly turned into a life-changing moment for 27-year-old Joseph Sen. A Toronto retail worker learned that he won $1 million on June 21, 2025. Lottery draw with Bis — a prize that now gives him the opportunity to return to some goals he once put aside.
While many winners fancy spending money or celebrating, this generation Zer has a different priority: he wants to go back to school.
“It doesn’t feel like reality,” Sena said. “It really changes my life. It allows me to do everything I never had the opportunity to do.”
Sena loves to play Lottery, Ontario 49 And Prolineand often adds Encore to their tickets for an extra chance at a prize. But even with such a habit, he did not expect that he would be able to win such a big prize.
“At first I thought I won $1,000. I thought, 'Great!'” he said as he collected his winnings from the OLG Prize Center in Toronto. A second look revealed he had indeed won $1 million.
The disbelief did not subside immediately. Sena scanned the ticket several times using OLG applicationtrying to understand the meaning of what he saw.
“I checked it about 20 times before I believed it was true,” he said. His family and friends were equally stunned when he shared the news.
Once reality set in, Sena decided without hesitation how he planned to use his prize. Instead of making big purchases or planning expensive trips, he wants to use the win to get back to school first.
Lottery Launched in 1978 as Ontario's first terminal lottery, it offers players two chances to win for every $1 ticket. Biswhich can be added to most lottery games for an extra $1, gives players 22 ways to win and has two drawings every day, one of which turned Sena into a millionaire.
The winning ticket was purchased at the Circle K store on Queensway in Toronto. Now, with school back on the horizon, Sena is ready to turn his surprise win into a long-term opportunity.
Tools to help you stop gambling
If you want to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be an effective tool. See resources here which are available throughout Canada.
