Calgary’s Mystery Lotto Max Jackpot Winner Steps Forward

The lucky Calgary man who won a record-breaking $65 million lottery jackpot playing Lotto Max in October has stepped forward to claim his prize, allowing his identity to be revealed.

Tai Trinh, 63, is a regular lottery player who probably never expected that he would land the mammoth prize.

Mr Trinh, a Vietnamese immigrant who arrived in Canada in 1980 after fleeing his war-torn homeland, would stop at the same Shell store every day for a coffee and a new Lotto Max or Lotto 6/49 ticket.

On that fateful day, he purchased a $6 quick pick ticket from the Country Hills Shell, located at 1000-388 Country Hills Boulevard NE in Calgary. The winning numbers on the 4^th October draw were 20, 31, 35, 36, 39, 42, and 44.

When the draw was announced, Mr Trinh checked and double checked again, but kept calm, even after he realized that he really was the recipient of the $65 million prize.

“You know, when you buy a ticket, you have to hope that you will win,” he explained to WCLC. “So, I just thought, ‘Okay. This is okay.’”

Asked about what he planned to do with the money, Mr Trinh replied with his modest plans.

“I’ll put the money in the bank for now, but it will definitely help make life easier.”

The Prairies and Territories can count themselves among the luckiest regions in Canada – Mr Trinh is the 200th winner from Manitoba, Saskatchewan or Alberta to be made a millionaire by Lotto Max in the 10 years that the game has been running. His win is the largest ever in Alberta.

Mr Trinh’s tremendous win is tied with Canada’s largest win ever, which was claimed in Quebec in June of this year.

Giuseppa and Nunzio Lanteri claimed the record-setting $65 million Lotto Max prize, which will be shared among eight members of the family.

The Lanteris shared travel plans including a tour of Italy where they come from, as well as Mauritius, where their daughter’s partner hails from.

The convenience store owner Martine Guérin who sold the winning ticket will also receive $650,000, one per cent of the lot, as stipulated in the retailer agreement.

The Lanteri family won $1 million two years earlier, in the Extra draw on January 20, 2017, and shared the prize with their two children, Jane and Salvatore.

Lotto 6/49 and Lotto MAX, the two most popular lottery games in Canada, have been responsible for changing countless lives through their generous payouts.

In fact, another massive $50 million Lotto Max jackpot was won in Calgary but has still not been claimed yet! A winning ticket was sold in the city for the 30th August draw, but nobody has stepped forward yet to claim the prize.

The winning lottery numbers were 5, 9, 33, 36, 39, 41, and 44. The winner has a year from the draw date to claim the prize.

Winner/s can contact WCLC Customer Care at 1-800-665-3313 for information on how to claim the prize.

Photo – WCLC