Thursday June 19, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
In Vancouver today, one extremely lucky British Columbian came forward to claim his $40-million Lotto Max prize.
Phuc Duc (Daniel) Chau loves the Bubly brand of sparkling water and stopped in a convenience store to purchase a can of the beverage.
Chau purchased the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven on Imperial Street and Boundary Road in Burnaby.
Chau likes to buy lottery tickets based on a gut feeling, and due to the employee’s bubbly nature while he purchased his Bubly, Chau also purchased a Lotto Max ticket for the May 23, 2025 draw.
It was this ticket that ended up scoring Chau a whopping $40-million jackpot.
“I was at work when I found out,” recalled Chau of the moment he realized he won. “I was going through my bag to find a cough drop, but I saw that I had two lottery tickets in my bag and decided to scan the tickets, but I needed to update the [BCLC Lotto!] app first.
“The first ticket I didn’t win anything, but the second said $40 million. I have never seen that many zeroes in my life, ever. I dropped my phone and then called BCLC right away!”
At the time of the prize claim, the Vancouver resident hadn’t yet shared the news of his win. “My partner doesn’t know yet! I want to share the news with them in a special way.”
Chau shared that his dream has always been to travel the world. “There are so many places I want to go to, so I haven’t fully decided!”
When asked if he will quit his job, he said, “I haven’t decided, but I want to continue to support my community in a different way.”
Being a multimillionaire means a lot to Chau. “It opens up an opportunity for me to give back to my family, community and the world all around me. It’s not meaningful unless you can share this with those who need it,” he was quoted in today’s BCLC news release.
So far in 2025, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $146 million from Lotto Max. Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 p.m. (PST).
Players can purchase tickets at lottery retailers or at PlayNow.com. Winning numbers and group release forms can be found online at www.bclc.com. Players can check their lottery tickets anytime, anywhere on iOS and Android devices. Learn more about the BCLC Lotto! App here.
BCLC offers socially responsible gambling entertainment while generating income to benefit all British Columbians. Players can visit PlayNow.com to learn how to set time and money limits. For more information on tools and resources to encourage healthy play, visit GameSense.com.
Biggest win in Canada:
A win of $80 million happened last month, that being the biggest prize ever won by a single individual in Canada, according to the B.C. Lottery Corporation.
The odds of winning a Lotto Max jackpot are 1 in 33,294,800.
Lottery dynamics:
These significant wins — and the drive for people to contribute millions each year to essentially pay for health and education and other key services in this province through the purchase of lottery tickets — is based on significant income inequity in this society.
When people have very little income to begin with they buy lottery tickets in the hope of changing their fortunes. Nowadays, many households can barely make ends meet. Small supports through lottery wins rather than big windfalls would make more sense in terms of helping more people.
If people have moderate income they often buy lottery tickets hoping at least for incremental gain in their financial security.
A winner of one million dollars a few weeks ago realized her limits… she will use the funds for retirement savings and buying c car — a far cry from the flagrancy that a million dollars often used to instigate.
People who are financially secure may not be so eager to buy lottery tickets except for frivolity, as the odds of winning are not great.
Life-changing:
Winning a massive amount like $40 million changes a person’s life forever.
It impacts family, friends, and career track — and not necessarily in positive ways.
It brings a whole new level of financial management and daily responsibility. Sometimes big-dollar winners end up wasting the lucky fortune while others distribute it to friends and family or invest in their communities.
Financial management is a skill set that can take time. Some large lottery winners will want to be careful to whom they entrust the management of their new wealth.
See profiles of various BC Lottery winners in recent years.
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