Biggest Cash Prizes Paid Out in Quebec

The odds of winning the lottery are slim, like 1-in-over-33-million slim. People often liken it to the chances of getting struck by lightning because winning is such a rare occurrence. And it’s not just lotto wins that are rare but all kinds of big cash wins, including ones from poker and slot machines.

No one really expects to win these games, but everyone loves to dream about what they’d do if they did. In the case of these lucky Quebec players, the unexpected happened, and their dreams of winning did come true.

Lotto Max Jackpot $70 Million (2020)

In one of the biggest wins in Quebec’s lotto history, 22-year-old Gregory Mathieu won $70 million. Overnight, he went from being a minimum-wage worker living paycheque to paycheque to being a multimillionaire, something most of us can only dream of.

His plan for the money was to share it with his family, telling reporters, “I know that money does not buy happiness. But the family brings happiness.” He also decided to leave his job and upgrade his car, which was on its last leg.

Lotto Max Jackpot $60 Million (2017)

In January 2017, a Quebec family started the new year with incredibly good fortune: a $60 million lotto win. The family of 26, alongside two close family friends, decided to pool together on New Year’s Day for the opportunity to win, and surely no one expected that just a short time later, that win would come to be.

At the time of this big win, $60 million was the biggest-ever jackpot given out by Lotto Max, and you can bet that even spread out over 28 people, the amount was life-changing for the family.

Lotto Max Jackpot $55 Million (2023)

A retired couple in Quebec had an unexpected cash injection on Halloween of 2023, winning $55 million through the Lotto Max jackpot. The couple, Jean Laroque and Catherine Ennis, were astonished by the news, and at first, Ennis didn’t believe her husband. But after checking the ticket and then rechecking it three more times, the reality started to sink in.

They kept the ticket close at hand the first night Laroque slept with it in his pocket, and then they kept it secure in a safety deposit box at the bank until they got their official lotto paycheque. It may not be as much as the $70 million and $60 million wins above, but it’s still a significant amount of money that will make their retirement more comfortable than they ever could have imagined.

Lotto Max Jackpot $50 Million (2023)

For Pierre Richer, October 2023 was when his 30 years of playing the lottery finally paid off—big time. Richer won the $50 million lotto jackpot. He picked up the ticket alongside his Thanksgiving groceries at the Super C store.

His plans for his winnings were to buy a home, a new car, and possibly take a vacation. Although he’s in his 60s, he made no plans to use the money for early retirement; he wanted to continue with the work he’d been doing for the last 40 years.

Lotto Max Jackpot $50 Million (2023)

At the end of 2023, just in time for the Christmas holiday, another $50 million lotto was won, this time by a family of three. The family, mother and daughter Jeannette Boisvert and Nancy Gauthier, Boisvert’s partner Gilles Larouche, from the Laurentians, said their plans for the win was to buy a small farm they’d share. The mother and daughter duo also decided to leave their jobs. The ticket was purchased at a Couche-Tard convenience store in Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines.

Lotto 6/49 $36 Million (2023)

The first Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball Jackpot, a grand total of $36 million, was won by Jean-Marc Poirier in October 2023. After claiming his prize, Poirier bought a new car and started planning a trip to Costa Rica. When he told his kids that he’d won the lottery, they didn’t believe him, asking him to prove it by showing his ticket and the drawn numbers before finally accepting that he was telling the truth.

Casino de Montréal $3 Million (2023)

More than just lotto tickets have delivered big paydays for Quebec residents, as land-based casinos and casinos that accept phone bill payments have also made people’s bank accounts grow significantly. While the numbers may not be as staggering as the lotto wins, they’re still significant, especially when most consider it a win just to walk out with the same amount of money they wagered during a night out at the casino.

One of the biggest casino wins recorded includes a more than $3 million jackpot prize from the Casino de Montreal. The lucky winner was Claude Martin, who was only at the casino to see Roch Voisine perform. Before the show, he decided to dabble in a game of three-card poker, and it paid off. After just a few rounds of playing, he won with a royal flush in spades, an incredibly rare hand to be dealt.

Casino de Montréal $1.8 Million (2017)

After placing a $30 bet at the Grand Prix-themed slot machine at Casino de Montreal, Chi Hoc Huynh found himself suddenly in possession of a $1.8 million prize thanks to a generous progressive slot game. Huynh had retired just a year before this win and decided to use it to fund his retirement travels. And no doubt, this nice million-dollar financial cushion will help make retirement more enjoyable for him and his wife.

Conclusion

While winning a massive cash prize from a lottery or casino is rare, it happens for some people, turning their lives upside down overnight. While this might remain a dream for most of us, never give up. You never know what fortune trying your luck with contests, lottery draws, and casino games will bring.