July 50/50 Winner Takes Home $1.7 Million Grand Prize
Published Friday, July 25, 2025
On the last Friday of every month, Thunder Bay 50/50 participants across Ontario eagerly wait by the phone at 11:00 am., hoping to be the one to receive the life-changing call from Hospital Foundation CEO Glenn Craig. Today, that call went to Saif Zaman of Etobicoke, who was the Grand Prize winner in the July 50/50, winning an incredible $1,737,545.
When Craig said, “Can I speak with Saif, please?” the response was instant: “Oh my God, there's no way. Yes, this is Saif. It's 11 o'clock, and I know who you call at 11.” Saif was so stunned, he had to grab a glass of water before continuing.
“This is insane, I wish I could tell you more, but I don't even know what to say,” said Zaman, still in shock. “It's so overwhelming. I've been buying tickets for so long. I dreamt about this.”
Saif then shared a moment he'd recently had with his mom: the two had watched one of the Thunder Bay 50/50 past winner videos together, a winner who had won on a $20 ticket. “We religiously watch your calls every month,” he said. “She told me, ‘Don't worry, it'll happen to you too.”
So what's next for Saif? “I have a ton of OSAP loans and have been slowly chipping away at them but the interest is more than the payments I make. So, definitely paying those off in full,” he said. “I did want to go to law school, but I couldn't, it's a big financial hurdle. I want to take my mom places, she raised me as a single mom. And if anything… I want to retire her.”
Over $71 million in prizes has been awarded across Ontario with this draw now marking its 23rd consecutive millionaire.
Photo Caption – Saif Zaman of Etobicoke wins $1,737,545 in Thunder Bay July 50/50.