It was like a game show atmosphere as Patricia and Michael Doiron of Halifax, N.S. were the first players to spin the giant Mega 360 Million wheel, taking home a $500,000 prize.

“I was excited, I was nervous, but then I settled right down when I saw the nice crowd,” Patricia said after employees at Atlantic Lottery’s head office recently cheered on their winning spin. “It was amazing. I didn’t know what to think at first, but I used my two hands and I gave her a good roll!”

For Michael, sharing the winning moment with his mom made it even more meaningful.

“It was such a nice feeling to be able to see her do that, totally a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” he said. “The excitement that we felt when it landed on the $500,000 was just unbelievable. To stand next to my mom when she spun that, it just means everything to see how happy she was. I’m so happy we got to do that together.”

Released in February 2026, Mega 360 Million is a Scratch, Watch and Spin game offered by Atlantic Lottery. The $10 game can either be played as a Scratch’N Win ticket purchased at retail or as an Instant Win game on alc.ca. Players first scratch their ticket or click through their digital game, and those who unlock the “spin” feature get to watch an animated wheel reveal their prize – either in-store, on the mobile app or online. If the spin lands on “Mega 360 Million” the player wins the opportunity to spin the Mega 360 Million wheel, with the chance to win a minimum of $500,000 and up to $1 million.

Patricia and Michael have been playing Scratch’N Win tickets together for a long time and use the Atlantic Lottery mobile app to check their wins after they scratch.

“My mom was right beside me when we did the virtual spin on my phone. She’s always the one that presses the spin button,” he said. “For years, we’ve scratched tickets together and we’ve always had fun.”

On the drive to Moncton to spin the big wheel, the pair passed the time talking about what they might do with their prize.

“The car ride was fun, it was a lot of talking about what we’re going to be doing,” Michael said. “It was a pretty exciting car ride.”

Patricia and Michael said they hope to use their prize to take a cruise to a sunny destination, fix up the family cottage and do some home renovations. They also hope to support some local causes that are important to them, while Michael added that he loves his work and has no immediate plans to retire.

The winning Mega 360 Million ticket was purchased at Needs in Timberlea, N.S. The retailer will receive a one per cent seller’s prize.

Backgrounder:

• Mega 360 Million is available as both a Scratch’N Win and online game from Atlantic Lottery, featuring three game components.
• Players who unlock the “spin” feature in their game, will watch an animated wheel spin to reveal their prize –this happens during in-store validation or on the mobile app for Scratch’N Win tickets, or online for Instant Win games.
• Instant prizes range from $10 to $150,000. Prizes won on the spin animation are guaranteed, ranging from $20 to $150,000 or the Mega 360 Million top prize.
• Players who land on “Mega 360 Million” unlock the opportunity to spin the big wheel at Atlantic Lottery’s head office in Moncton, N.B. Prizes on the big wheel range from a guaranteed minimum of $500,000 up to $1 million.