Justin Simporios is normally a sound sleeper who “can fall asleep anywhere” – but had a very sleepless night, after learning he won an $80-million Lotto Max jackpot from the May 9th Lotto Max draw.
This is the largest lottery jackpot ever won in B.C. and is also the biggest one claimed by a single individual in Canada.
“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!’”
The Surrey resident woke up his wife to share the news. “She was in complete disbelief and a bit mad at me because our daughter wasn’t feeling well.” Simporios’ wife luckily agreed this was a good reason to wake her.
While still in disbelief about his win, Simporios is ultimately most excited to share his windfall with his family.
“I want to help my family and my wife’s family. 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.”
Giving back to the community is also a key priority for Simporios.
“I’ve struggled before and needed help. Even if I can give an ounce of happiness, I want to help where we can. This feels like a dream.”
As an avid LA Lakers fan, Simporios mentioned he would like to see LeBron James play before James retires. He also plans to visit his family in the Philippines for a family reunion.
He purchased the winning ticket at the Walmart Supercentre in Central City on King George Boulevard in Surrey.
So far this year, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $101 million from Lotto Max.
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