Press release

Montréal, February 2, 2023 — A number of Centre-du-Québec residents got a lucky break at the start of the new year. France Marcoux and Gaétan Bergeron took home $1,000,000 with a Célébration 2023 ticket. The winning combination, i.e., the one that matched theirs on their ticket, was drawn during the January 8 gala. As for Johanne Lanciault, she took home $40,000, i.e. the top prize, with a Mots Cachés Casino scratch ticket. In both cases, the winners were shocked to discover that their ticket had won them over $1,000! The winning tickets were purchased in Drummondville.

Six zeros

• The day after the gala aired on TV, Gaétan Bergeron checked his and his wife’s Célébration 2023 tickets via the Lotteries app on his phone.
• At the time, Bergeron saw a number followed by a couple of zeros, and thought they’d won $1,000. When he double-checked the ticket to count the number of zeros, that’s when he realized: there were six!
• With their winnings, Bergeron says he intends to spoil family members, while Marcoux says she intends to retire earlier and thus, enjoy life to the fullest.

The winning ticket was purchased at Épicerie Mi-Jo, located at 85 Rue Notre-Dame in Drummondville. The retailer will receive a 1% commission of $10,000.

In summary

• Lottery game: Célébration 2023
• Prize: $1,000,000
• Draw date: January 8, 2023
• Winners’ place of residence: Centre-du-Québec
• Retailer: Épicerie Mi-Jo (85 Rue Notre-Dame, Drummondville)

       The retailer will receive a 1% commission of $10,000.

A well-hidden word

• “I like to drop whatever I’m doing to indulge in some me time, and Mots Cachés is a lottery game that I can spend a few minutes playing,” Johanne Lanciault explained when she came to pick up her cheque.
• After scratching her Mots Cachés Casino ticket, which she bought at the Couche-Tard on Rue Saint-Pierre, Lanciault initially thought she’d uncovered nine words and won $1,000. When she went over the word grid on her ticket, she spotted one last and final hidden word. Meaning she’d uncovered a total of 10 words, and won the top prize!
• The lucky winner says she intends to add the $40,000 to her rainy day fund.

In summary

• Lottery game: Mots Cachés Casino
• Prize: $40,000
• Winner’s place of residence: Centre-du-Québec
• Retailer: Couche-Tard (2010 Rue Saint-Pierre, Drummondville)

About Loto-Québec

Loto-Québec has been delivering entertainment to Quebecers for over 50 years, and its operations benefit the people and province of Québec. In 2022, it paid out 120 prizes of $1,000,000 or more to lottery winners. The Gagnant à vie and Grande Vie tickets have provided 15 lucky winners with a lifetime annuity. Major prize winners are listed on the Winners page in the Lotteries section of lotoquebec.com. Discover their story.