Ten lucky people saw their lives change overnight and just a few days before Christmas Eve when they had the joy of sharing the $40 million jackpot they won last Friday at Lotto-Max.
However, only seven of them were present on Thursday when they came to pick up their winnings at Loto-Québec’s head office in Montreal.
“I didn’t believe it at all. […] When I asked the clerk how much I had won, he told me that he did not know, that there are too many zeros,” said Montrealer Jovita Cruz Deladia San Jose, laughing. one of the winners, during a Loto-Québec press briefing.
A Belgian chocolate lover, the new multi-millionaire will probably treat herself to a trip to taste “a few pieces” directly in Belgium, she added, alongside the six other winners known to date.
“We will start by buying a house for the family. […] It’s his dream,” explained Alain Phan, son of Than Lan Phan, one of the winners.
Each winner will receive a share of $4 million.
“A few days before Christmas, I am very happy that the jackpot has been won by a group. Several families suddenly become multi-millionaires, what more could you ask for! Last year, Loto-Québec awarded nearly $1.5 billion to the winners,” said Jean-François Bergeron, President and Chief Executive Officer of Loto-Québec.
However, three winners have not yet claimed their prizes, recalled the host of the event, Isabelle Racicot, from the head office of Loto-Québec, reminding all those who bought a ticket before December 16 to have it checked.
The winning ticket was sold at a kiosk in the Plaza Côte-des-Neiges in Brossard, which belongs to the Association québécoise de l’épilepsie (AQE), a non-profit organization that helps people with epilepsy and their entourage.
The latter will also receive a commission of $400,000.
“This $400,000 will allow us to move forward, whether we think of assistance dogs, of the accommodation needs for people who accompany hospitalized people with epilepsy, of respite for caregivers natural,” said the Association’s general manager, Brigitte Pierard, with a smile on her face.
In 2019, the organization also sold a $50 million winning ticket, pocketing a commission of $500,000. The amount had made it possible to give two scholarships to students, to advance research in epilepsy.
It had also made it possible to set up a daily telephone support system for people with epilepsy.
Since the launch of Lotto Max in September 2009, Quebecers have won over $3 billion in this lottery. Today is the 40th Lotto Max jackpot won in Quebec.