Ontario’s latest Lotto Max winner got a $55 million jackpot with a free ticket.
He checked the ticket online after the draw and couldn’t believe he was a “Big Winner.”
OLG announced that François Masse of Hawkesbury, which is east of Ottawa, is the winner of a $55 million jackpot from the Lotto Max draw on January 9, 2026.
He got the winning ticket at Asselin’s Your Independent Grocer on Cameron Street in Hawkesbury and had no idea a typical grocery run and Free Play ticket would make him a millionaire.
For the draw on January 9, the Lotto Max winning numbers that Masse matched were 9, 21, 26, 31, 34, 36 and 43.
Masse, a retiree who worked in education, was leaving the grocery store when he remembered he had a Free Play ticket to redeem.
“I added Encore for $1, put the ticket in my wallet, and went on about my day,” he told OLG.
“A few days later, I remembered I had three tickets to check, so I scanned them using the OLG app. The first ticket earned me a Free Play, the second ticket won me $40, and the last one was the big one,” he explained. “I saw the ‘Big Winner’ message on the screen and went numb with disbelief.”
Masse felt like the world stopped, and he was in a haze.
“It was an out-of-body experience. I kept telling myself it couldn’t be true. I set the ticket down on the counter and paced around the house for five minutes, trembling and wondering if it was real.”
So, he checked the ticket again to make sure it was actually a winner.
After that, he called OLG to get information on how to claim the multimillion-dollar prize, but still couldn’t believe he won the Lotto Max jackpot.
“I just looked out my window and thought about what this meant for me and my family, my kids, my mom, and my brothers. I was overwhelmed with gratitude,” Masse said.
It took hours for him to process what happened and call his family to tell them about the win.
“We like to joke a lot, and they didn’t believe me at all at first,” he revealed. “We all know we’ll commit to a joke and pull each other’s legs, so they thought I was just really committed to my prank. Even my mom didn’t believe me.”
Lotto Max winner François Masse.Courtesy of OLG
Masse wanted to tell his children about the win in person, so he made up an excuse for why he needed them to come over.
“I told them I had a gift on back order for them, and I bought them each an espresso machine as a ruse.”
Then, once they were together, Masse told them to scan his Lotto Max ticket with the OLG app.
“There were a lot of happy tears,” he said. “It was a wonderful, incredible moment to share as a family.”
Masse already has plans for what he’ll do with the $55 million jackpot.
“The first thing I want to do is arrange a family trip to celebrate this win, then I’ll plan some bucket-list travel,” he said.
He wants to go to Formula 1 races all over the world, watch football games at NFL stadiums, take some golf trips, and have adventures with his mom.
“We have lots of opportunities to make memories together,” he explained.
He’s also thinking about buying a new house and a car.
But before he makes any purchases, he plans to talk with financial advisors who can guide him because he wants to ensure his family is taken care of.
“This win isn’t just for me, it’s for my family and the legacy we’ll leave behind,” Masse said.
If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.