Blockbuster Lottery Win for British Columbia Man: Largest Jackpot Ever
Posted on: May 18, 2025, 10:40h.
Last updated on: May 18, 2025, 10:40h.
A Surrey, B.C., has won CAD $80 million in a Lotto Max jackpot draw, B.C.’s largest lottery jackpot ever, and the largest jackpot ever awarded to a single person in Canada.
Plans to Go Watch LeBron Live
Justin Simporios accepted the cheque from the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, and with tears streaming down, said he’ll now be able to spend more time with his wife, daughter, and family. Simporios, 35, said with the win his mother will never have to work again.
Simporios told the media he is normally a sound sleeper, who “can fall asleep anywhere,” but he couldn’t get to sleep after he found out he had won the May 9 draw.
“It was 10:30 p.m.,” recalled Simporios of the moment he realized he won. “I saw that someone won $80 million in Surrey. I was joking and told my wife ‘We’re millionaires!’ and she told me to stop making that joke. After, I manually checked each number before scanning [using the BCLC Lotto! App] I cried and shouted, ‘we’re millionaires!’”
Disbelief
Simporios woke up his wife to share the news. Her initial reaction was disbelief, but his daughter hadn’t been feeling well. But Simporios’ wife agreed an $80 million lottery win was a good reason to wake her up.
“I’ll pay off my sister’s medical school debt and help my mom retire early – just giving my family a head start in life,” he said.
Simporios also added a key priority for him is to give back to the community in Surrey.
“I’ve struggled before and needed help,” he said. “Even if I can give an ounce of happiness, I want to help where we can. This feels like a dream.”
Helping the Community
Simporios is a big LeBron James fan, and said he would like to go see the L.A. Lakers’ star play in a game before James retired. Retirement rumours are swirling around James, who said recently he hasn’t spoken with his family yet about continuing his playing career, for what would be his 23rd season. So it’s too soon to tell whether Simporios’ James dream will come to fruition.
Still, a trip to the Philippines for a family reunion is something that can happen, for sure, so Simporios says he’ll start planning for that.
“My wife and kid have never visited,” he said. “The biggest change will be having more time with my wife and family. We want to live with a purpose – to help the community around us.”
Record-Setting Win
Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game, known for larger jackpots, drawn on Tuesday and Fridays. The nationwide lotteries are administered by the provincial organizations but are consistent nationwide in term of rules and prize structures. BCLC also operates provincial lotteries, like BC/49 and Keno – typically with smaller prize pools but potentially better odds.
Simporios purchased his winning ticket at the Walmart Supercentre in Central City in Surrey.
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