It was a winning year for lottery players in western and northern Canada.
The Western Canada Lottery Corporation says 85 new millionaires were crowned, sharing in over $319.3 million.
The biggest win of the year was a $70 million LOTTO MAX prize, won on the January 16 draw by a player from Beaverlodge, Alberta. At the time of that win, $70 million was the largest prize offered on any Canadian game.
However, in September, LOTTO MAX saw an adjustment to the max possible jackpot, with an increase from $70 million to $80 million.
So far, two $80 million jackpots have been won across Canada, with each of those shared between two tickets. One of the winning tickets was purchased in the Prairies this month. A $40 million prize was claimed by a player in Hamiota, Manitoba.
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In June, a Calgary resident won $66 million on their LOTTO 6/49 ticket. The corporation says that prize was the region’s second largest win in 2024.
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Below is a list of 2024 millionaires by province in the Prairies:
- Alberta: 55 wins, totalling $237.3 million
- Saskatchewan: 11 wins, totalling $17 million
- Manitoba: 11 wins, totalling $53 million
Northern Canada was well-represented, with four prizes of $1 million paid to winners from the Northwest Territories and two prizes of $1 million paid to two Yukon residents.
Some prize roundups for larger cities include:
- Calgary: 22 wins totalling over $108.3 million in prizes
- Edmonton: 12 wins totalling over $23 million in prizes
- Winnipeg: Nine wins totalling over $14 million in prizes
- Regina: One win, $2 million prize
- Saskatoon: One win, $1 million prize
The WCLC says the 85 million-dollar victories are just a portion of the total prizes awarded to lottery players in 2024. An additional 1,500 tickets won prizes between $10,000 and $1 million during the year, which adds another $82 million to the tally.
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Officials add beyond those big wins, millions of smaller prizes, ranging from free tickets to $2, $5, $10 and beyond are won in western and northern Canada each year.
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