Five colleagues from Quebec were having an ordinary day at work when they received a huge bonus.
That bonus wasn’t from their employer, but rather from the $1 million jackpot they won playing Lotto Max.
François Saint-Cyr, the organizer of the group, discovered they had the winning ticket while on his break.
He immediately informed his co-worker and fellow group member Richard Tétreault that they’d soon be getting their $200,000 share of the prize.
They went to tell another winner, Michel Cayer, who was in his office at the time. Cayer jumped out of his chair when he found out the good news, noted Loto-Québec in a news release.
Soon after the last two group members, Deibis Alberto Gomez Arauj and Alain Brunet, heard about their windfall.
The fact the colleagues had only been playing the lottery together for three weeks added to their excitement.
Araujo always thought that they had luck on their side, reminding his friends often that he had a good feeling they would win.
“It’s really something to experience!” he said in a news release.
The co-workers plan on using their prize money to travel, renovate their homes, and invest. They purchased the lucky ticket at Dépanneur Route 104 and the business will receive a 1% commission.
They aren’t the only group that has won big.
Recently, two friends from Vancouver, BC, split the $1 million prize. Wai Hing Yuen and Tang Mei Deng were at a local mall when they checked their ticket and learned their bank accounts would be getting much bigger.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, you can find resources here.
With files from Daniel Chai