A Mississauga man may have thought someone was playing a trick on him, but his big lottery win was no joke.

Andre Pilon, a 42-year-old father, won $500,002 in a June 22 draw, a news release from the OLG said.

“When I scanned my ticket while at the gas station and saw ‘Big Winner’ appear, I thought it was a joke,” Pilon said in the release. “My wife was outside, so I went to get her — she cried tears of joy.”

Pilon, who said he’s been playing the lottery since he was a teenager, won $500,000 in the initial Maxmillions draw and $2 on Encore.

He said he plans to pay bills and put money away for his children with the winnings.

“It’s an amazing blessing — this money will go a long way for my family,” he said.

The win is the latest in a number of recent big wins by local residents, including a $1 million win by a Mississauga couple in a June 4 draw.

Pilon’s winning ticket was bought at Stop & Go Food Market on Eglinton Avenue in Mississauga.