Having entered the market in its current form in April this year, Mahapola Lotto reached a key milestone of having its first jackpot winner within a brief span of 3 months. An ecstatic R.A. SanjayaSuranga, a resident of Rajagirya, bagged the first jackpot on Mahapola Lotto’s MLotto lottery. A cheque for Rs. 4 million was ceremonially handed over by Hon. Secretary of co- operatives and internal trade, Mr. G.K.D. Amarawardena to Sanjaya at the Ministry auditorium. 

Commenting on the jackpot win, Harshini Sirinanda, Corporate Communications Manager, Oceanic Games – the managers of Mahapola Lotto said, “It is heartening to see a hardworking young man like Sanjaya win the first jackpot of Mahapola Lotto, especially within the first few months of the launch. Going beyond changing the lives of the lottery winners, we hope to empower the youth of the nation by making additional funds available for the Mahapola Higher Education Scholarship Trust Fund through Mahapola Lotto. Being committed to creating employment opportunities for the differently abled, we’re also delighted to note that the winning lottery was sold by a physically challenged youth.”

Outlining the company’s vision for Mahapola Lotto, she added, “Lotteries have always been a great source of additional income for the general public in Sri Lanka. Helping the common man prosper with its innovative products, Mahapola Lotto has also revolutionized the lottery industry as a whole, creating more room for all players to grow together. Lending our support to national development, we look forward continue contributing to the Mahapola Trust Fund while creating more winners with this new lottery.”

Sanjaya works at the Kotte municipal council and also drives a three wheeler in his free time. Picking the winning number, 01 10 54 56 for the 5^th July daily draw, he had purchased the winning ticket from the Mahapola Lotto booth run by a physically challenged youth near the Rajagiriya Church.

Yet to recover from the joy of winning the jackpot,a jubilant Sanjaya said “I feel truly blessed to have won the jackpot. The fact that Mahapola Lotto offers employment opportunities for the physically challenged and supports our talented, underprivileged youth in higher education through continued sizeable contributions to the Mahapola Trust Fund makes this win more special.”

Sharing his journey to the jackpot, he added, “I’ve always believed that a person’s luck and perseverance together shape his future. Seeing crowds of peoplebuyingMahapola Lotto tickets at this stall at all times, I too wanted to try my luck. I was excited to find that this lottery allowed me to pick my own lucky numbers. Winning Rs. 2,000 on a MLotto ticket I had bought for Rs. 20further motivated me to continue buying MLotto tickets.”

Photo caption: Hon. Secretary of co-operatives and internal trade, Mr. G.K.D. Amarawardena handing over the cheque for Rs.4 million to R.A. Sanjaya Suranga, the winner of the first jackpot on Mahapola Lotto’s MLotto lottery at the Ministry auditorium in the presence of other officials