Winners of $80 million Lotto Max jackpot finally revealed in Canada

The winners of a massive $80 million lottery jackpot in Canada have finally been revealed.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation announced in a press release that London residents Greg S. and Krys P. won the massive prize from the Dec. 30 Lotto Max draw.

The two friends also chose the Lotto Max combination play option, leading to a second-prize win on the same draw of $403,285.40.

That means they will both equally share a total of $80,403,285.40 — the largest lottery payout in Canadian history.

Greg and Krys met decades ago.

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They immigrated to Canada from Europe in the 1990s and met in an English as a Second Language (ESL) class.

They have played the lottery together for several years, only buying tickets when the jackpots are high. They use quick pick numbers and an eight-number combination play.

Greg said that he realized they won the massive windfall while checking the numbers one-by-one.

“One-by-one, I circled my numbers to see if they matched the winning numbers – until I realized I circled them all,” he said.

He told his wife that he thought they won something.

“Then I checked using the OLG app because I didn’t know how much we won,” Greg said.

“I saw the words ‘big winner’ and the number 80 but I didn’t believe it at first. It was unbelievable. I checked it again and I saw the eight, the zeros and the commas and I knew it was $80 million.”

Greg’s wife then called Krys.

“It was the morning when Greg’s wife called to tell me the news – I had just woken up,” Krys said.

“She asked me if I checked our ticket yet. I checked it with my wife and saw we matched all the numbers.”

Krys said he was “very happy, and very nervous too.”

Krys then headed over to Greg’s house to check the ticket together and shake his hand.

“He is the one who always took the time to go to the store and buy our tickets,” Krys said.

‘It’s surreal’

Greg recently retired from a manufacturing job after having not missed a day of work in 28 years.

Now he has more time on his hands and with the huge amount of money he just won, is working to determine what he wants to do.

“It’s not easy to decide what to do right now,” he said.

“We need a little bit more time…. It’s surreal. I’ve been playing for years, but you never expect something like this to happen.”

Greg said that once the initial shock wore off, he shifted to planning and has met with a financial advisor.

While he said he needs a bit more time to figure out exactly what he wants to do, he did mention some plans including buying a new home, spending more time with family, and travelling.

“I’d like to visit Japan, New Zealand and Australia.”

Krys, meanwhile, said his “life will 100 per cent change,” but plans to life as normally as possible.

“I worked 12‑hour shifts in a factory for 28 years. We learned to live within our means and save our money,” he said.

“I worked hard for my life in Canada. Now I can spend more time travelling and being with my kids. I’m still shocked — I’ve never seen money like this in my life,” he added.

Krys said he also plans to buy a new home and car. In terms of travelling, tropical destinations are on his list.

“Before we do anything, I want to take my time and get advice from the right people,” he said.

“I don’t want to go crazy. I want to listen to my team and make sure we’re setting things up properly for future generations.”

Greg said he and Krys came to Canada in search of a better life.

“Over these years, we have worked hard and built lives we are proud of. We have been fortunate to own our homes and provide our children with education and opportunities for the future,” he said.

“Still, we have always enjoyed dreaming bigger and have been playing the lottery for many years. Winning this prize feels unimaginable – it’s amazing.”

“It allows us not only to secure our own future, but that of generations to come. At the same time, we plan to continue living simply, sharing this blessing and enjoying it with the people we love most,” he added.

It took the pair a little while to come forward to the OLG to claim their prize.

In February, INsauga.com reported that the OLG had not yet been in contact with the winner or winners of the Dec. 30 jackpot.

Earlier this month, however, INsauga.com reported that two people had come forward to claim the prize.

The $80 million winning ticket was bought in London at Happy Day’s Mini Mart on Aldersbrook Road.

Images via the OLG