Lunar New Year Lotto Ticket Turns Into $60 Million Windfall

Posted on: April 4, 2025, 09:35h. 

Last updated on: April 4, 2025, 10:00h.

Mark Keast Read More

Expertise: Canadian Gaming, iGaming, Las Vegas, Sports Betting, NFL, Boxing, UFC.

• 5 co-workers from Toronto rang in the Lunar New Year in style after winning a CA$60 million jackpot
• Each winner will take home CA$12 million

Five co-workers from across Toronto partnered up to buy a LOTTO MAX ticket during the recent Lunar New Year and ended up splitting a CA$60 million jackpot.

In Asian culture, the Lunar New Year (February 17), also known as the Chinese New Year, is a major holiday celebrated in many East Asian cultures, marking the beginning of a new year based on the lunisolar calendar. 

Festivities often span 15 days, with feasts, family get-togethers, setting off firecrackers, and giving red envelopes with money for good fortune as some of the traditions.

And buying winning lottery tickets, apparently.

Phone Blows Up

The five winners of the LOTTO MAX jackpot are Trang Pham of Mississauga, Suong Tran of Mississauga, Phong Phan of Brampton, Thuc Le of Toronto, and Zou Hsieh of Scarborough. 

To honor Lunar New Year traditions, Trang Pham suggested to her co-workers that they buy a ticket for the January 21 LOTTO MAX draw. Trang then went into a Giant Tiger store on Kipling Avenue in Etobicoke, where she purchased the ticket.

Tears of Joy

“About a week before Lunar New Year, I was buying creamer for the office and thought I’d pick up a ticket for the group,” said Trang. The very next day, the group discovered they’d won the CA$60 million LOTTO MAX jackpot.

“I saw in the news that the CA$60 million LOTTO MAX winning ticket had been sold in Etobicoke, so I checked ours right away,” she said. “I reviewed the numbers myself and saw that one of the lines matched exactly. I couldn’t believe it, so checked the ticket again, this time on the OLG app. When I saw $60 million on the screen, I was in total shock. I took a screenshot and sent it to the group chat right away.”

Inner Philanthropist

Trang’s phone started “blowing up”, she added, with calls and texts from the group members, each of whom would be cashing a CA$12 million check.

I was in a parking lot at work when the text came in,” said Suong Tran. “I thought Trang was teasing us, so I called her. When she confirmed it wasn’t a joke, I started shaking and crying tears of joy.”

Several in the group were so stunned they said they couldn’t eat or drink for days after hearing the news. Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation Chair of the Board of Directors Jim Warren presented the individual checks during a special winner’s celebration, and that’s when their new reality really hit.

Warren revealed the CA$60 million check from a giant red envelope to honor tradition around the Lunar New Year.

Buying a New Home

“Purchasing a home has been a dream of mine since my parents relocated to Canada,” said group leader Trang Pham. “They made so many sacrifices for me, and now it’s my time to take care of them. I also plan to make some investments and tap into my inner philanthropist.”

Phong Phan says he is too young to retire but wants to take some time off and travel.

“That’s been a dream of mine,” he said. “I also want to start my own business, so I have a lot to think about. I’ll do that while I travel.”