Surrey resident wins biggest prize in BC history with $80M Lotto Max jackpot

Justin Simporios is the winner of the largest lottery jackpot ever won in BC and the largest jackpot ever won by a single individual in Canada.

Simporios had a sleepless night after learning he won an $80 million Lotto Max jackpot from the May 9 draw.

“It was 10:30 pm,” 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!’”

Simporios said his wife was in complete disbelief but eventually believed he was telling the truth.

The winner said he is most excited to share his winnings with his family, including paying off his sister’s medical school debt and helping his mom retire early.

His other plans included helping his community in any way he can, seeing LeBron play a game before he retires and making a trip to visit his family in the Philippines.

“The biggest change will be having more time with my wife and family. We want to live with a purpose – to help the community around us,” said Simporios about how it feels to win the massive prize.

Simporios purchased the winning ticket at the Walmart Supercentre in Central City on King George Boulevard in Surrey.

So far in 2025, BC lottery players have redeemed more than $101 million from Lotto Max.