Winnipeg family wins $60M in LOTTO MAX draw
Posted February 2, 2021 2:48 pm.
Last Updated February 2, 2021 6:34 pm.
WINNIPEG – A Winnipeg family is $60 million richer after winning the LOTTO MAX jackpot last month.
John Chua says when he was told on Jan. 23 that someone in the city would be claiming the prize, he was jealous of the winner not realizing yet that it would be him.
Chua regularly picks up lottery tickets for himself, his wife Jhoana, and his mother Angie, and his uncle Ben. He says when he checked his ticket the morning after the draw, he didn’t see anything that would make him a winner.
It was later when he opened an email from PlayNow that he realized the win.
“I thought it might be a free play or something. But it said $60 million – I was confused, so I checked on PlayNow.com when I got home and there it was,” he said in a release.
Chua actually did end up winning two free plays on top of the massive jackpot, but when he told his wife she didn’t believe him.
“He always plays jokes – he’s a joker, so I didn’t believe it,” she said. “I believe now that it’s real.”
Chua will be splitting the money with the rest of the family group, but they’re not quite sure what the money will go towards yet.
“People talk about what they’d do if they win the lottery, but that won’t happen unless you buy a ticket,” he said.
One purchase Chua is hoping to make is a house for his growing family.
“I wasn’t really expecting anything – I was hoping for just a little to put toward a house. There’s a lot of things that come to mind – but I’m going to take my time. I want to be wise. We’ve got kids and need to think for our future. I just want to take the time and do the smart thing.”
The $60 million prize is the biggest lottery jackpot ever won in Manitoba and the biggest payout from a ticket bought online in Canada.
