TORONTO, ON – When Greg S. and Krys P. of London immigrated to Canada from Europe in the 1990’s, they came with the hope of a better life for them and their families. Little did they know at the time, they would become multi-millionaires, thanks to LOTTO MAX.

The two friends made Canadian lottery history as the winners of the largest lottery prize payout. They won the $80 Million LOTTO MAX jackpot from the December 30, 2025 draw. Because the duo also chose the LOTTO MAX Combination Play option, they won the second prize on the same draw adding another $403,285.40 to their lotto payout. Both men will equally share winnings totaling $80,403,285.40!

The friends, who met decades ago in English as a Second Language (ESL) class, after arriving in Canada, have been playing the lottery together for several years, only buying tickets when the jackpots are high and selecting Quick Pick numbers with an eight-number Combination Play. 

During a Winner Celebration at the OLG Prize Centre, Greg shared that he checked his LOTTO MAX ticket the old-fashioned way – with a pen to paper. “One-by-one I circled my numbers to see if they matched the winning numbers – until I realized I circled them all.” When he noticed the ticket matched all the winning numbers, he told his wife he thought they had won something. “Then I checked using the OLG app because I didn’t know how much we won,” Greg continued. “I saw the words Big Winner and the number 80 but I didn’t believe it at first. It was unbelievable! I checked it again and I saw the eight, the zeros and the commas and I knew it was $80 million!” 

Greg realized he had to share this life-changing good news with his lottery partner, Krys. “It was the morning when Greg’s wife called to tell me the news – I had just woken up,” recalled Krys. “She asked me if I checked our ticket yet. I checked it with my wife and saw we matched all the numbers. I was very happy, and very nervous too.” Krys then quickly headed over to Greg’s house. “I went over to Greg’s to check the ticket together and shake his hand. He is the one who always took the time to go to the store and buy our tickets.” 

Greg recently retired from a manufacturing job. He is proud to never have missed a day of work in 28 years, but now realizes he has a lot of time on his hands, and plans to use that time wisely to determine what this next phase of life will look like. “It’s not easy to decide what to do right now,” Greg said. “We need a little bit more time.” 

“It’s surreal. I’ve been playing for years, but you never expect something like this to happen,” Greg continued. “Once the initial shock wore off, my focus shifted to planning.” He has met with a financial advisor and has been given advice on how to invest for his future. Top of Greg’s ‘To-Do’ list is purchasing a new home, spending more time with the family and is also looking forward to traveling. “I’d like to visit Japan, New Zealand and Australia.”

“My life will 100% change,” Krys smiled. “I worked 12‑hour shifts in a factory for 28 years. We learned to live within our means and save our money.” He added that he plans to live as normally as possible. “I worked hard for my life in Canada. Now I can spend more time traveling and being with my kids. I’m still shocked — I’ve never seen money like this in my life.”

Krys said he also plans to purchase a new home and a car and hopes to travel to some tropical destinations. “Before we do anything, I want to take my time and get advice from the right people,” he said. “I don’t want to go crazy. I want to listen to my team and make sure we’re setting things up properly for future generations.”

Both Greg and Krys have a similar philosophy about this incredible windfall. “We came to Canada many years ago in search of the Canadian dream and a better life. Over these years, we have worked hard and built lives we are proud of. We have been fortunate to own our homes and provide our children with education and opportunities for the future,” Greg said. “Still, we have always enjoyed dreaming bigger and have been playing the lottery for many years. Winning this prize feels unimaginable – it’s amazing!”

Greg shared one final thought on this win, “It allows us not only to secure our own future, but that of generations to come. At the same time, we plan to continue living simply, sharing this blessing and enjoying it with the people we love most.”

The $80 million winning LOTTO MAX ticket was purchased at Happy Day’s Mini Mart on Aldersbrook Road in London.

OLG supports safe play and wants to keep the fun in the game. That’s why OLG is proud to be a leader in promoting responsible gambling with our globally recognized PlaySmart program.

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