Lotto 6/49: Alberta couple keeps $5M jackpot a secret — even from their son who lives with them

Despite winning the $5 million Lotto 6/49 Classic Draw jackpot, Wanda and Slav Rosa have yet to tell anyone of their win.

“We haven’t told anyone just yet,” Wanda said while picking up their prize. “One of our sons still lives with us and we haven’t even told him!”

The Grande Cache, Alta. couple won the jackpot in the Jan. 17, 2026 Lotto 6/49 draw, and already have one especially sweet plan in mind: a trip to Europe that Slav jokingly described as the honeymoon they never quite got around to taking.

“We got married 48 years ago,” said Slav. “So, this is like a delayed honeymoon!”

The Rosas were at home when Wanda scanned their Lotto 6/49 ticket and realized something was very different. What started as a regular ticket check quickly turned into the kind of moment most lottery players only imagine.

“I just froze after scanning the ticket and started counting the zeroes,” said Wanda. “After that, I said a bad word in Polish.”

Meanwhile, her husband’s reaction was a little more low-key.

“Oh, this is nice!” said Slav.

Nice, as it turned out, was something of an understatement. The couple had matched all six numbers in the Classic Draw — 10, 12, 15, 33, 34 and 45 — securing the fixed $5 million jackpot.

For now, the Rosas’ plans are focused less on extravagance and more on family, comfort and enjoying the next chapter of their lives. The couple hopes to share some of the winnings with loved ones and take a trip to Europe to visit family.

They are also considering purchasing a new car, while the remainder of the prize will go into savings. For Wanda, that part of the plan feels especially meaningful after years of careful planning.

“We’ve been saving all our lives for retirement,” said Wanda. “So, this is extra!”

The winning ticket was purchased at Grande Cache Petro Canada, located at 9910 Shand Avenue.

Lotto 6/49 is drawn every Wednesday and Saturday and gives players two chances to win with each play. The Classic Draw features a fixed $5 million jackpot, while the Gold Ball Draw guarantees a winner every draw, with a jackpot that starts at $10 million and can grow past $60 million.

For Wanda and Slav, the win means a little more comfort in retirement, a chance to give back to family and maybe, finally, the delayed honeymoon they have been waiting nearly half a century to take.

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