Press release

Montréal, March 15, 2021 — The grand prize that Sébatien Bernier won with Gagnant à vie will be a weekly blessing for him. After claiming his $1,000 a week for life on February 23, the Capitale-Nationale resident asked his employer to reduce his work hours so that he could enjoy Saturdays with his spouse and their daughter.

In summary

• Lottery: Gagnant à vie
• Prize: $1,000 a week for life
• Claim date: February 23, 2021
• Winner’s place of residence: Capitale-Nationale
• Retailer: Dépanneur Vidéo Éclair (111 Rue Beaucage, Québec)
• The retailer will receive a 1 % commission of $10,000.

Highlights

• Sébastien opted for the $1,000 lifetime annuity, which will be paid to him every week for the rest of his life.

• The winner says he plans to get more out of life with his family, by cutting down on his work hours.

• On the first Saturday that he didn’t work, he hid in the house so that he could surprise his little girl, who was thrilled to see him.

• For the past 10 years or so, Sébastien has bought a ticket for Gagnant à vie—his favourite lottery game—pretty much every month when he’d go to get gas.

• He was never in a hurry to scratch them though: when they’d start to pile up in his car, he’d bring them inside, sometimes just leaving them on the kitchen table.

• He promised himself that he’d stop letting unsigned lottery tickets pile up in his car!

• Sébastien, who loves a good secret, waited until he’d received his first cheque from Loto-Québec to tell his wife that he’d won.

   

  A video of the winner is available on Loto-Québec’s YouTube channel.

  Sébastien, gagnant de 1 000 $ par semaine à vie

   

  COVID-19: How to claim your 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. In 2020, Loto-Québec paid out 108 prizes of $1,000,000 or more to lottery winners. The Gagnant à vie and Grande Vie lotteries have provided 16 lucky winners with a lifetime annuity. Major prize winners are listed on the Winners page of the Lotteries website.