Big wins, bigger smiles: Celebrating our 2025 winners
Atlantic Canadians had plenty to smile about in 2025, with exciting wins happening every day with Atlantic Lottery.
From big jackpot draws like Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 to classic Scratch’N Win games and new digital options, players had so many ways to play and win.
This past year was filled with memorable winning moments, and we loved celebrating alongside our players. Here are just a few of the stories that made 2025 such a winning year.
Denise Berube of Saint-André, N.B. took home a $5M Lotto 6/49 jackpot
Berube won $5 million on the Lotto 6/49 Classic Jackpot. A regular lottery player, Berube played the same set of significant numbers for 30 years. Among those significant numbers are a birthdate, jersey number she wore in high school, her wedding anniversary and the age at which she dreamed of retiring. While she didn’t retire at the age she originally dreamed of, she did retire last summer and said her win would help her enjoy retirement even more.
Learn more about Berube’s plans for her prize money here.
Carol Ann Gallant of Christopher Cross, P.E.I. won a $250K MEGA 360 prize
Gallant celebrated a $250,000 prize after her spin on the MEGA 360 wheel at Atlantic Lottery’s head office in Moncton, N.B.
Gallant purchased her winning MEGA 360 ticket at Eugene’s General Store in Tignish, P.E.I. and said she planned to share her winnings with her three daughters and grandchildren.
Her prize also helped pay off her car, complete home renovations and provided peace of mind as she focused on her health.
Read more about Gallant’s MEGA 360 win here.
Gisele Pollock of Lakeville, N.B. won over $1M playing Powerbucks WOF Shimmering Sapphires on alc.ca
Pollock celebrated a $1,172,773 win after hitting the progressive jackpot on Powerbucks Wheel of Fortune Shimmering Sapphires, a Casino game offered on alc.ca.
Pollock said she was “vibrating from the whole experience” and planned to use the prize to help her family, purchase a new vehicle and take her daughters and their husbands on a European river cruise.
A longtime lottery player, she had previously won $321,333 on an Instant Win game in 2023.
A group of co-workers from Lunenburg, N.S. celebrated a $500K Lotto Max win
The five colleagues, known as the Happy Campers, split the $500,000 Maxmillions prize equally, each getting a $100,000 share.
Maxmillions are additional $1-million prizes that are drawn when the Lotto Max jackpot reaches $50 million. This Maxmillions prize was shared with a ticket sold in British Columbia with same numbers, splitting the $1-million prize equally.
The prize meant something different for each group member, providing opportunities like retirement savings, home renovations, debt repayment and helping family with student loans.
Learn more about the Happy Campers and their prize win on The Ticket.
Daniel Beason of Colinet, N.L. was gifted a winning Set for Life ticket for his birthday
Beason received a much bigger gift than he ever imagined when his granddaughter gave him a birthday card with some Scratch’N Win tickets inside, one of which was a top-prize winning Set for Life ticket worth $675,000.
“I was numb. You just don’t believe those things,” Beason said. “I’m still in shock, I have lots of butterflies.”
Plans for his winnings include purchasing a new Ford truck and sharing the wealth with his friends and family.
The full story on Beason’s unbelievable birthday win can be found here.
Sandra Millard and Tarra Millard of Clarendon, N.B. shared a $500K Daily Grand prize
The mother-daughter duo, who have been buying lottery tickets together since 2023, claimed the second prize in the national Daily Grand draw.
Daily Grand second prize winners can choose between $25,000 a year for life or a lump sum of $500,000. The Millards received the lump sum.
They used part of the prize to pay bills, enjoy some shopping, and invest for the future, with hopes of soon buying a new home together.
To read the details on the Millards big win, visit The Ticket.
Robert Roche of Glenfanning, P.E.I. won $1.5M playing Super Set for Life
Doing a good deed for a family member turned into a surprise windfall for Roche when he won $1.5 million playing Super Set for Life.
“It was kind of a normal day for me. I decided to go up east to see my aunt. There was supposed to be a snowstorm coming and I wanted to make sure she had wood up from the basement, so I went up there to help her out,” he said. “When I left, I stopped at the store and I purchased a couple of Super Set for Life tickets. One of them was the big win.”
Atlantic Lottery’s Super Set for Life is a $20 Scratch’N Win ticket that offers two options for the top prize. Winners can choose to receive $100,000 a year for 20 years, or a lump sum of $1.5 million. Roche will receive the lump sum payment.
Read more about Roche’s big win here.
Michael Brown of Englee, N.L. is $5 million richer thanks to a Lotto 6/49 Classic Jackpot win
Brown took home his $5-million Lotto 6/49 jackpot after his ticket matched all six of the Classic Draw numbers for the Nov. 5, 2025 draw. His big win was all the result of a free ticket that he had won on a previous draw.
The fisherman has no plans to retire and intends to spend some of his prize money on new fishing equipment to make his work easier. Plans for the rest of his winnings include helping his children and taking some of his friends on the moose hunting trip they’ve been dreaming of for the last several years.
Click here to read more of Brown’s winning story.
Garfield Westhaver of St. Margarets, N.B. won a $15M Lotto Max jackpot
Westhaver has always worked hard to contribute to his local community, but he’s now looking forward to doing even more after winning the $15-million jackpot on the Sept. 30 Lotto Max draw.
Westhaver said he was shocked when he scanned his ticket on the Atlantic Lottery mobile app and learned the amount, but added the win would not change how they live their lives.
He and his wife planned to use the prize to support their grandchildren, buy a new home in their community and donate anonymously to local charities close to their hearts.
Learn more about Westhaver’s heart-warming story here.
Lottery retailer John Cook of Little Dover, N.S. won $250K on MEGA 360
Cook celebrated a $250,000 prize after spinning the MEGA 360 wheel at Atlantic Lottery’s head office in Moncton.
Cook, who owns two local businesses including an Atlantic Lottery retail location, said the win would allow he and his wife to pay off debt, take a family vacation, complete home renovations and save for their son’s education.
Their community rallied around them, and Cook said the support made the win even more meaningful.
Tracy Winsor of Whitbourne N.L. claimed $1M Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball prize
Winsor celebrated a $1-million Lotto 6/49 Gold Ball prize after buying her ticket online.
She discovered the win while preparing a family supper, and said she cried when she checked the ticket and saw the amount. The timing was especially meaningful, as her truck had broken down just days earlier.
She said the prize helped to buy a replacement vehicle, plan for retirement and provide added security for her six children and grandchildren.
More about Winsor’s Gold Ball win can be found here on alc.ca.
At Atlantic Lottery, every cheque we get to present is more than just a prize – it’s a chance to give back to Atlantic Canadians. We are proud to celebrate these winning moments and the joy they bring across our region, and we can’t wait to do it all again in 2026.