Friday December 26, 2025 | VICTORIA, BC [Posted 12:50 pm | Updated 1:04 pm PT]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The $31-million jackpot from the Lotto Max draw on September 23, 2025 was won by Ingo Abresch of Kelowna.
Abresch bought his ticket on the BC Lottery Corporation (BCLC)’s website at PlayNow.com where he has a Playnow subscription.
He was at work when he discovered his win, said BCLC in a news release on December 22.
The seven winning numbers for the September 23, 2025 draw were 8, 9, 23, 30, 38, 40 and 43.
“I looked at my account and saw a big number in the right corner. I clicked on the ticket, and the song rang,” explained Abresch to BCLC. “I was dumbfounded, there were lots of zeros!”
Abresch says while the $31-million will make retirement easier, he doesn’t plan on changing his lifestyle, adding he will do “a few more trips” and “not worry when dining out”.
Boost in 2026:
Starting in February 2026, the Lotto Max jackpot cap will increase from $80 million to $90 million, which BCLC says is a record-breaking jackpot for a Canadian lottery.
Lotto Max is also introducing a new feature offering multiple $100,000 prizes with every draw, based on the jackpot amount. For example, when the jackpot is $10 million, 10 additional $100,000 prizes will be drawn, and so on, up to 90 additional $100,000 prizes when the jackpot hits $90 million.
So far in 2025, BC lottery players have redeemed more than $243 million in winnings playing Lotto Max.
About Lotto Max:
Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 pm (PT), with a top prize of $1,000 a day for life.
Players can purchase tickets at lottery retailers or at PlayNow.com.
Lottery ticket winning numbers can be checked online using the BCLC Lotto! App.
Cost of living context:
Boosts and spreading out the wins in the lottery experience is at least partly reflective of an increasingly challenging cost of living in BC and Canada.
Winning a million dollars years ago was a big deal. Now — while welcome by anyone — a million dollars doesn’t even cover the cost of buying a house.
This reality is reflected in the Kelowna winner’s comment about carrying on with his current lifestyle despite winning $31 million.
Subscription context:
Having BCLC Playnow account — and presumably paying for regular ticket purchases each week — is a way to not miss a draw. But it’s also a reflection of how normalized that gambling has become as a subset of the cost of living challenges for many Canadian households.
It’s also a way for the BCLC computer algorithms to know player numbers well in advance and to know your geo-location (required for login).
BCLC revenues make a significant contribution to general revenues of the Province of BC — notably for health care and education as well as community grants.
===== RELATED:
- $46 million Lotto 6/49 gold ball winning ticket purchased in Quesnel (December 21, 2025)
- $31 million Lotto Max winning ticket was purchased online (September 24, 2024)
- NEWS SECTIONS: LOTTERIES & GAMBLING | AFFORDABILITY | INCOME EQUITY | POVERTY REDUCTION