How does someone win the lottery four times? A cancer survivor from Alberta just did

The “astronomical” odds appear to be in favour of one Alberta man who has been playing the lottery for over 40 years. Here’s what we know about his lucky streak.

David Serkin of Lethbridge recently claimed $1 million from the May 3 Lotto 6-49 Gold Ball draw. In the past year, he also pocketed $500,000 from the August 20 Lotto Max draw and another $1 million on November 16 through Lotto.Altogether, that’s $2.5 million in under nine months. pic.twitter.com/rLN31WZKvr— Carra De Shaukeen (@Carradeshaukeen) June 3, 2025

What do we know about the winner? David Serkin is retired, a cancer survivor and resides in Lethbridge. He says he has been buying Lotto 6-49 tickets since its launch in 1982. He won $1 million on the May 3 Lotto 6-49 Gold Ball draw. This win comes after he won $500,000 on Aug. 20. On Nov. 16, he won $1 million. In a draw 12 years ago that marked his first win, he went home with $250,000. “I know the odds are astronomical,” he said in a news release. “I don’t think it’ll happen again, but I still like buying tickets.” According to Western Canada Lottery Corporation, the odds of winning the jackpot are estimated to be 1 in 33 million. How has his family reacted to his win? Not surprisingly, his family is pleasantly shocked. “I went for coffee with the boys after I checked my ticket,” he said, CTV News reported. “They asked to see it and said, ‘Not again?!’” The Independent reported that with his November winnings, he was using some of it to help out his friends. What does he plan to do with his winnings? Travel seems to be in the cards for the winning Alberta man. He took his wife to Hawaii with his last win. This time, he plans to travel within Canada. “Now, we’re going to Newfoundland,” he said, CityNews reported.

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