Cancer survivor wins lottery 4 times

One Canadian man has had the luck of the draw not once, not twice, but four times.

David Serkin, who hails from the Lethbridge area in Alberta, Canada, won $1 million on the May 3 LOTTO 6/49 Classic draw, according to a press release from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation.

This marked Serkin’s third lottery win in less than nine months.

In 2024, Serkin won $500,000 on the Aug. 20 LOTTO MAX draw and $1 million on the Nov. 16 LOTTO 6/49 draw, per the WCLC.

NOW Toronto reported that Serkin’s luck even extends back over a decade. He previously won $250,000 in another draw more than 10 years prior to his three-peat.

“I know the odds are astronomical,” he said in the press release from WCLC. “I don’t think it’ll happen again, but I still like buying tickets.”

David Serkin has been playing LOTTO 6/49 since its launch in 1982.WCLC

The odds have been undoubtedly in Serkin’s favor thus far.

Per the WCLC, the chance of winning the LOTTO MAX jackpot or a MAXMILLIONS prize is 1 in 33,294,800. For the Gold Ball draw, the odds are determined each time based on the total number of selections across Canada.

Serkin has been a longtime player of LOTTO 6/49 since its launch in 1982, relishing in the routine of buying and checking his tickets for a winner.

“You check your ticket and if you win, you’re happy,” he explained. “If you don’t, you can always try again.”

Serkin also shared a deeper personal meaning behind his success rate, adding, “I’m a cancer survivor and I’m retired, so I am just grateful for all of it.”

“I bought this ticket while I was buying gas,” he said. “I saw the Gold Ball draw was getting close (to the final ball selection) and thought, ‘What do I have to lose?’”

Serkin's winning ticket was purchased at Shell Lethbridge at 2440 Fairway Plaza Road S in Lethbridge.

Naturally, Serkin’s friends and loved ones have continued to be shocked by his year-long streak of good luck. He shared that he went out to coffee with his friends after checking his ticket and they were all shocked that he had won yet again.

Serkin’s said his wife is in awe, too. They have been able to create several special memories with the money he has won, with many more to come.

“I took my wife to Hawaii with the last win, and we had a great time,” he said. “Now, we’re going to Newfoundland!”