$50 Million Lotto Max Winner Lies Low
After months of rollovers, the $50 million Lotto Max lottery jackpot was finally won last weekend by a woman from Victoriaville, NE of Montreal, who reportedly confirmed her winning ticket at a gas station on Saturday.
However, lottery authorities say that the lucky Lotto Max winner is lying low as she has not yet come forward to claim her mammoth prize.
The assistant manager at the Shell station, Marie-Pascale Rheault said about the ticket confirmation. "I was surprised. She knew that she had won, but she needed to have confirmation. She was in shock. When I heard the special song from the lottery machine, I understood."
All that is known about the winner, a mother in her 40's, is that she is a frequent visitor to the Shell station to buy her lottery tickets. "She's a regular customer," confirmed the station manager, Nathalie Lallier.
Record Lottery Payout in Quebec
When the mystery woman's win is confirmed, it will be the biggest lottery prize paid out in Quebec, breaking all previous records.
When news broke that someone had matched all the numbers from the Lotto Max draw on Friday night, it was soon revealed that the winning ticket was sold in Quebec.
The odds of matching all seven numbers were 1 in 28,633,528.
Three tickets matched six numbers and the bonus number.
Out of the record fifty MaxMillions prizes up for grabs in Friday's draw, seventeen tickets paid out $1 million each, with nine sold in Ontario, three in Quebec the rest in the four western provinces.
Lotto Max Sales Through the Roof
In the days leading to the draw, it was reported that Canadians were snapping up Lotto Max lottery tickets at an incredible rate.
Lotto retailers reported an extra $500 - $600 in sales every day, while one lottery ticket buyer said that he was so excited that he was "doubling up."
"If it wasn't for the $50 million, I'd only spend $20 - so I'll buy $40 worth for our group," he said.
Friday's prize was the biggest since the Lotto Max lottery was launched in 2009, overtaking a previous record of $99 million in June 2010, where the Lotto Max draw carried a $50 million prize and an extra 49 MaxMillions were up for grabs.
People across Canada are holding their breath to see the identity of the $50 million Lotto Max winner.
