Retired Fisherman Claims CA$60 Million Lotto Max Jackpot

A man from Richmond has claimed British Columbia’s biggest lottery prize of all time after winning CA$60 million on Lotto Max. Retired fisherman Joseph Katalinic waited almost a month to come forward but now intends to ‘live like a king’ with his new-found millions.

Joseph matched the numbers 11, 15, 17, 20, 24, 25 and 50 in the draw on Friday 26th July. He purchased his ticket from Richmond’s Seafair Centre and later found out that he had won when he scanned his ticket at a local convenience store.

Describing how he reacted when he realised he had won, he said: “I went nuts, I tell ya.” Expanding on the disbelief he felt, Joseph added: “I went to two different 7-Elevens to check it, to check it out again, and here it was three times and I figured, well that’s it, I’m a winner.”

Asked how he celebrated the moment, Joseph revealed that he kept it simple: “I had a shot of whisky and that was it. Scotch. Straight. I needed it.”

Once he had enjoyed his whisky, the winner shared his news with his daughters, which was an experience that included lots of hugging and kissing. “The first one I told, my oldest daughter, she put her arms around me and started crying like hell.”

Quick Pick Wins The Jackpot

Having previously always played his own numbers, Joseph went for a different strategy on 26th July and asked for a Quick Pick. It proved to be an inspired switch, but he opted not to come forward and claim his prize straight away simply because one of his daughters had told him there was no rush.

Joseph already has a peaceful life, having retired around 20 years ago, but he is determined to make the most of his money. He plans to take his extended family on holiday to Hawaii and also visit the town in Europe where his parents were born.

As well as being the largest lottery prize ever seen in British Columbia, Joseph’s win is also one of the biggest in Canadian history. The Lotto Max jackpot cap was only increased from CA$60 million to CA$70 million in May, and a new record was set the following month when the top prize reached CA$65 million.

The game is played every Tuesday and Friday night, and you can see the latest winning numbers straight after every draw. The jackpot currently stands at CA$30 million after four straight rollovers since 6th August.