Saskatchewan couple wins $40 million in the Lotto Max

Word is out that a lucky couple from Paradise Hill, Saskatchewan have hit the staggering jackpot of $40 million in the Lotto Max lottery.

Carolyn Sloan, owner of the Smokin’ Lens Hotel, told that the older couple purchased the ticket at a Fas Gas Station in Lloydminster, which is about 65 kilometers away. Paradise Hill has about 500 residents.

Sloan said that the couple is shocked at winning the big amount of money. She added that the couple went to her watering hole to celebrate their winning after they had come from validating their winning ticket on Saturday. The draw was held Friday night.

Sloan, however, was quick to say that she would not identify the couple. She commented that they have lived in the village for “a little while.” She also was not aware of what the couple would intend to do with the money.

Andrea Marantz, spokesperson for the Western Canadian Lottery Corporation, states that “a claim has been made” on the winnings and that the claim is going through the usual process. The winners will be officially announced by WCLC as soon as they are validated, she said. The verification process can take days, and other times, even months.

Sloan disclosed that the couple have children and grandchildren with whom they can share their fortune. She was quoted saying that “everybody here is pretty happy for them. It’s nice to know that you can win. Everybody probably buys tickets, but most of those winning tickets go to Quebec or Ontario, and this time we got one right on our doorstep, so it’s pretty exciting for them.”

The couple also won $20 on a second ticket.

Paradise Hill, where the winners come from, is approximately 285 kilometers northwest of Saskatoon. If the couple really won $40 million, it would be the biggest lotto win yet in the province.

The record for Saskatchewan was set in June 2010 when Clarence and Delores Durocher of Ile-a-la-Crosse won $25 million in the Lotto Max lottery. The couple split the $50-million prize with another winner from Newfoundland.

Interestingly, the Victoria Hospital Foundation in Prince Albert also told Wednesday that one of their weekly bingo players has won $10,000. Helen Huck, the winner, was reported to have only missed out a week of the charitable bingo since it started in February 2009. The money generated from the lottery is used in the procurement of medical equipment for the Victoria Regional Hospital.

Visit Lotterycanada.com if you are looking for the latest Lotto Max winning numbers today!