Canadian scores huge lottery prize just in time for her birthday

A lottery player from Quebec got a pretty extraordinary birthday gift this year.

Montérégie resident Lise Bilodeau had more than one good reason to celebrate in April. Not only did she win $1 million in the Quebec Max draw, but her dream of receiving her prize on her birthday came true.

Bilodeau usually checks her lottery tickets in the morning while having coffee. When she checked her ticket the day after the April 14 Quebec Max draw, she initially thought she had only won $1,000, until she saw there were too many zeros for that to be the case.

Loto-Québec

When Bilodeau looked closer at the lottery results, she realized she had the winning numbers and actually scored a million dollars.

She broke the amazing news to her husband.

“It’s true, we won a million dollars!” she recalled telling him. “It’s utter bliss!”

The winner had mentioned to Loto-Québec that her wish was to receive the prize on her birthday, so the team made it happen.

Quebec’s lottery and gaming company even had a few surprises waiting for Bilodeau when she came to pick up her cheque.

Loto-Québec

“I didn’t expect there to be party balloons!” she shared, visibly moved.

Bilodeau plans to move and buy her dream car with her big birthday windfall.

She bought the winning ticket at the Couche-Tard convenience store at 7721 Boulevard Taschereau in Brossard.

If you’re an April baby, you might also be a birthday winner. A lucky Canadian became an instant millionaire last weekend after matching the winning numbers for the Lotto 6/49 draw to score the $1-million prize. According to PlayNow, the ticket was sold in Ontario. At the time, the top prize had reached $34 million.

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, check out these resources.