It was the first time the jackpot had climbed so high after the cap for the top prize was raised from CA$50 million in July, and the members of the syndicate have already come forward to collect their money, which works out at CA$5 million each. Dennis Cartier was the man who had been running the syndicate and found out about the incredible success when he checked the tickets, but he decided to have a little fun as he told his co-workers they had become rich.
“I didn’t tell anyone, I was supposed to have Monday off so I went in casual clothes and I brought them all into the board room and said I was tired of playing the lottery and wanted to end things,” Cartier said, as quoted by CTV News. “But there is one more thing,” he added. “And I handed out prize forms with the ticket attached to it….”
A video of the group going wild after being told the news has already taken the internet by storm, racking up more than 250,000 YouTube views. One happy winner has revealed she was ‘dancing on the boardroom table’ after finding out. Despite the record win, all 12 players have stated that they plan to carry on working and keep buying lottery tickets. It is also reported that those colleagues who were not a part of the syndicate will be treated to a steak dinner.
Playing in syndicates is a popular choice for many lottery players as it allows participants to buy tickets in bulk to increase their chances of winning, whilst sharing the costs. In the UK it is estimated that one in five top prizes is won by syndicates, and the success of the Toronto group on Lotto Max may have more Canadians following suit.
The Lotto Max jackpot is already growing quickly again after a rollover in the last draw, with CA$32 million set to be up for grabs this Friday night for anyone who can match all seven main numbers drawn. Find out more about Lotto Max and keep an eye out to see if the top prize gets scooped again in the next draw.