Amritpal S. drove to White Rock after a busy day because he wanted to clear his head.
Instead, he found out he'd won $32 million.
The Surrey resident had heard a major Lotto 6/49 ticket had been sold in his city. He had his ticket with him, so he checked it from his car on the BCLC Lotto! app.
The number didn't register.
"I saw the amount and was confused. I read $32,000 and used other phones to check," he told BCLC. "I couldn't process it!"
It wasn't $32,000.
Amritpal had won the $32-million Gold Ball Jackpot from the Sept. 19 Lotto 6/49 draw.
His sister was the first to know
Once he was sure, he drove home. His sister was in the middle of dinner.
"My sister was the first person I told," he said. "She was speechless and started crying."
He claimed his prize at BCLC's Vancouver office on Sept. 23, four days after the draw.
He wants to help his family first
He hasn't decided everything, and he isn't rushing.
"I know I can buy anything I want, but I'm still taking some time to decide," he said.
He does know where it starts. He wants to help his parents and sister, buy a house and "get a few cars."
One of them is already picked out.
"My dream car is a Dodge Challenger though."
Asked how it felt, he kept it short. "I'm so happy! This will change my life."
The ticket came from a Surrey 7-Eleven
The winning ticket was bought at the 7-Eleven at 152 Street and 104 Avenue in Surrey. Its Gold Ball selection was 00461505-01.
BCLC announced the day after the draw that the winning ticket had been sold in Surrey. It didn't name the winner until Amritpal came forward.
How the Gold Ball Jackpot works
Lotto 6/49 has two jackpots.
The Classic Jackpot is always $5 million.
The Gold Ball Draw is separate. Every draw, its winning selection gets either a guaranteed $1-million prize or the full Gold Ball Jackpot, which starts at $10 million and grows every draw it isn't won.
By Sept. 19, it had reached $32 million. Amritpal's ticket matched the winning selection and took all of it.
Lotto 6/49 draws are on Wednesdays and Saturdays.
He won't pay income tax on the $32 million
This is the part that surprises people outside Canada.
The Canada Revenue Agency says lottery winnings generally don't have to be reported as income. They aren't taxed as income or as a capital gain. Amritpal keeps the full $32 million.
In the United States, a winner of the same jackpot would owe federal income tax on it, and often state tax as well.
But the money it earns will be taxed
The tax-free part ends the moment the money starts working.
If Amritpal puts $32 million in a savings account or invests it, the interest, dividends and capital gains it produces are taxable, just like anyone else's investment income. The CRA uses interest earned on lottery winnings as its own example.
At that size, even a modest return adds up. A 3 per cent return on $32 million is close to $1 million a year in taxable income.
Giving it to family is mostly tax-free, with a catch
Canada has no gift tax. Amritpal can give money to his parents and sister without paying tax on the gift, and they don't pay tax on receiving it.
There is one rule worth knowing. Canada's attribution rules can apply when someone gives money to a spouse or to a child under 18. If that money is then invested, the income it earns can be taxed back in the hands of the person who gave it.
Gifts to adult family members, like parents or an adult sibling, generally aren't caught by those rules.
A second house works differently
Buying a home is on his list, and so is helping his family with theirs.
In Canada, a family unit can only claim one principal residence at a time, and that's the home that's sheltered from capital gains tax when it's sold.
If he owns a second property himself, for his parents or as an investment, any increase in its value could be taxable as a capital gain when it's sold. If he gives the money to his family and they buy their own home, it's theirs, and their home.
None of this is unusual for big winners, and it's why lottery corporations recommend meeting with a financial adviser and an accountant before making any major decisions.
B.C.'s record is even bigger
As big as $32 million is, it isn't the largest Lotto 6/49 win in B.C.
BCLC lists the province's record at $58 million, from a March 2024 draw.
Amritpal's win does add to a big year. BCLC says B.C. players have redeemed more than $85 million in Lotto 6/49 winnings so far in 2026.
Winners have 52 weeks to claim
BCLC gives winners 52 weeks from the draw date printed on the ticket to claim a prize.
For Amritpal, finding out wasn't the hard part.
It was believing the number on his phone.
Sources
Surrey Resident to Help Family and Buy Dream Car After Winning $32-Million Lotto 6/49 Jackpot, BCLC
Summer Wraps Up with a Big Win: Winning $32-Million Lotto 6/49 Ticket Sold in Surrey, BCLC
Jackpot Facts 2025, BCLC
Amounts that are not reported or taxed, Canada Revenue Agency
Income Tax Folio S1-F3-C2, Principal Residence, Canada Revenue Agency
Attribution rules, Canada Revenue Agency
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