Luck has definitely been on Quebecers’ side throughout 2023 when it comes to the lottery. According to Loto-Québec for the whole of last year, the Crown corporation paid out more than CA$1.6 billion in prize money. There were plenty of big winners last year, as the lottery reported that there have been 89 instances of players winning CA$1,000,000 or more.
It should be explained that Loto-Québec is a state-run Crown agency that has offered lottery entertainment to the La Belle Province for over 50 years now. Profits from its gambling and lottery operations are used to benefit the local population. The corporation is also the only provider of regulated internet gambling in the province, via its lotoquebec.com.
Recapping 2023’s Lottery Highlights
As mentioned, 2023 saw some amazing lottery windfall being taken home by Quebecers. One of those went to Nancy Gauthier, her mother Jeannette Boisvert and her mother’s spouse Gilles Larouche from Laurentides, as they took home a hefty CA$50 million thanks to a Lotto Max draw. Their ticket was drawn as the sole winning one on December 15, 2023.
But there were even more examples of winnings in the same category, as Ennis and Jean Larocque, a couple from Estrie, claimed the amazing $55,000,000 Lotto Max jackpot on October 31, 2023. Meanwhile, over the Thanksgiving weekend in October 2023, Montréal local Pierre Richer also won some life-changing money, as he triggered a CA$50,000,000 Lotto Max main prize.
But that is not all, as other big winners from 2023, were Manon Gaudreau and Maryse Gaudreau. The two sisters from Estrie won a cool CA$7,000,000 from Grande Vie top prize just before the year’s end on December 28. Also, Hervé Bédard and Louise Plante, a couple from Chaudière-Appalaches, won a stunning CA$5,000,000 via the Lotto 6/49 draw on December 29. 2023.
Overall, the top five prizes given away by the Crown corporation throughout 2023, were a CA$55 million Lotto Max jackpot in November to Estrie, a CA$50 million Lotto Max one in December to the Laurentides, a CA$50 million one in October in Montréal, followed by CA$36 million in February to Lanaudière, and a CA$7 million with Grande Vie in January to Chaudière-Appalaches.
Meeting Midyear Goals
In the meantime, in December 2023, Loto-Québec issued an update to confirm that its financial numbers are on track to meet its targets for the current fiscal year. The Crown reported total revenue of CA$1.412 billion and net proceeds of CA$736.8 million from April 1 through September 25, 2023. It is its best performance in years, except for the previous FY.
In its report, it disclosed that the lottery sector contributed CA$452.8 million of revenue. Meanwhile, its online lottery revenue amounted to 12.5% of the sector’s total proceeds for the first half of the fiscal year. Then its casino and gaming halls sector, which was affected by lengthy labour disputes, delivered approximately CA$527.2 million in earnings.
Source: “Over $1.6 billion paid out to lottery winners across Québec in 2023” PR Newswire, January 26, 2024
