Press release

Montréal, May 19, 2021 — Eric Paradis used to tell anyone who’d listen that he’d one day win $1,000 a week for life. When he learned that the $30 limited-edition Gagnant à vie ticket was his best shot at winning the top prize, the Estrie man bought one that, as luck would have it, allowed him to snag the much-dreamt-about prize.

In summary

• Lottery game: Gagnant à vie ($30 limited edition)
• Prize: $1,000 a week for life
• Claim date: April 13, 2021
• Winner’s place of residence: Estrie
• Retailer: PJC – Jean Coutu (231 Rue Sherbrooke, Magog)
• The retailer will receive a 1% commission of $10,000.

Highlights

• Eric rarely plays the lottery, but occasionally buys Gagnant à vie tickets while on his summer vacation.
• Forever hopeful, he’d make his friends and family laugh when he’d repeatedly say that he’d one day win the lottery game’s top prize.
• When Loto-Québec launched the $30 limited-edition Gagnant à vie ticket, he felt that this was his best chance to win the $1,000-a-week-for-life prize.
• Knowing that he’d enjoy it, his wife gave him the scratch ticket for his birthday, and he won $30.
• With his winnings, Eric purchased another $30 limited-edition Gagnant à vie ticket.
• When he scratched his ticket, he uncovered three VIE symbols in the same game.
• Quietly, the lucky winner finished scratching his ticket, then headed to the kitchen where his spouse was.
• “Look, I have three VIE’s,” he told her calmly, pointing to his ticket.
• “Aren't you more excited?” asked his spouse, whose reaction was visibly stronger.
• It took a while for the Estrie man to realize the implications of the words he’d just spoken and the magnitude of what this would mean for him, his spouse and their lives going forward.
• The couple called a few relatives to tell them that this time it was true, Eric had won the Gagnant à vie top prize!
• After a few days spent thinking, he decided to opt for the $1,000,000 lump sum prize.
• Eric says he plans to do home renovations.
• Once circumstances allow, the couple plans to travel to the same spot in Hawaii where they honeymooned.
• With the $30 limited-edition Gagnant à vie scratch ticket, players have 10X more chances of winning the top prize (i.e. odds of 1 in 120,000) than with the usual $4 ticket. It’s players’ best shot at winning $1,000 a week for life.

COVID-19: How to claim a prize

As part of the collective effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and to protect the health of its customers and employees, Loto-Québec is urging ticket holders who’ve won a prize of $25,000 or more to contact its customer service team. Right now, the safest and most efficient way to claim a prize amounting to less than $25,000 is by mail. For more information on prize payment terms and conditions, please visit lotoquebec.com.

About Loto-Québec

Loto-Québec’s mission is to responsibly and efficiently manage games of chance in a controlled and measured fashion in the interest of all Quebecers. Entertainment is at the heart of its activities. Between January 1 and May 16, 2021, Loto-Québec paid out 53 prizes of $1,000,000 or more to winners. The Gagnant à vie and Grande Vie lottery games have provided nine lucky winners with a lifetime annuity. Major prize winners are listed on the Winners page of the Lotteries website.