Press release

Montréal, August 26, 2026 – Chaudière-Appalaches resident Dany Veilleux won $1,000,000 with a Célébration 2026 scratch ticket. Nearly eight months after the draw, he had his ticket validated, only to discover he was the winner of one of five $1,000,000 prizes drawn during the televised gala on January 11.

Highlights

• In December 2025, Dany Veilleux purchased a Célébration 2026 ticket. “This will be my gift to myself!” he thought.
• Weeks went by, and Dany completely forgot about the ticket. Several months later, while sorting through his lottery tickets, he found it again. He then went to a retailer to have it validated. “The amount flashed on the screen so quickly that I thought I had won $100,000!”
• It was only when he looked at the validation slip the clerk handed him that he realized the ticket he had forgotten about for several months was actually worth $1,000,000!

Learn more about unclaimed prizes

• Winners have 365 days following the draw to claim their prize.
• Loto-Québec informs lottery ticket buyers when a prize over $100,000 still hasn’t been claimed after several weeks.
• Unclaimed prizes are redistributed to players as bonus prizes and special draws.
• All unclaimed prizes of $100,000 or more are also listed in the Useful information tab of the Lotteries section of lotoquebec.com.

About Loto-Québec

Loto-Québec has been delivering entertainment to the people of Québec for over 55 years, and its operations benefit Québec as a whole. Last year, the corporation awarded a record $1.9 billion in prizes to winners and crowned 111 millionaires across Québec. It also paid out over 20 lifetime annuities. Major prize winners are listed on the More winners page in the Lotteries section of lotoquebec.com. Read all about their dreams.

The responsible commercialization of lottery and gaming products is central to Loto-Québec’s operations. The corporation has been granted the highest internationally recognized certification in responsible gaming by the World Lottery Association.