The drive home from a fishing trip doesn't usually end with a $40-million surprise. For Joseph Gosselin-Rompré and Mylène Bourgeois, a couple from Quebec's Montérégie region — the area just south and east of Montreal — this one did. As of Loto-Québec's July 2, 2026 announcement, the pair are the confirmed winners of the full Lotto Max jackpot from the Friday, June 26, 2026 draw: all $40 million on a single ticket.

The way they tell it, they were partway home from a fishing trip when they checked the ticket, and the last stretch of highway turned into a very different kind of drive. "We couldn't believe it at first," Gosselin-Rompré said, according to CP24.

How a Sorel-Tracy ticket became $40 million

The winning ticket was sold at a Boni Soir convenience store in Sorel-Tracy, in the heart of the Montérégie, CP24 reported on July 2. Under the standard retailer commission, that store earns $400,000 for selling a jackpot-winning ticket — a good day for a local shop, too.

The June 26 numbers came up 5, 6, 16, 30, 33, 43 and 51, with 35 as the bonus. Gosselin-Rompré and Bourgeois matched all seven main numbers, which is the only way to take the main Lotto Max jackpot.

🎯 The June 26, 2026 Lotto Max draw

Main numbers: 5 · 6 · 16 · 30 · 33 · 43 · 51 — Bonus: 35

One ticket matched all seven for the $40 million jackpot.

As for what comes next, the couple has talked about buying a fishing boat and fitting in more rounds of golf than they'd ever managed before. Like a lot of new winners, they're also taking their time before making any big decisions about their home.

One jackpot, and a good night for the game in Quebec

The Montérégie couple's win wasn't the only prize handed out that draw. Six MAXPLUS prizes of $100,000 each were won on the same June 26 draw, on tickets sold in the Prairies, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic region, per Narcity's results roundup. MAXPLUS is one of the supplementary features Lotto Max added in its April 2026 game change — fixed $100,000 prizes drawn alongside the main jackpot.

It was also the second sizeable Quebec jackpot in a short stretch. "This is the second time in just over a month that a Lotto Max jackpot has been won in Québec," said Isabelle Jean, executive vice-president and chief operating officer of lottery games at Loto-Québec. "Let's hope this lucky streak continues throughout the summer." That's her hope, not a forecast — which is the right way to read it. No number and no province is ever "due" for a win.

What a $40-million win says about the odds

Here's the part worth keeping in perspective. Matching all seven main numbers is a genuine long shot. The published odds of winning the Lotto Max main jackpot are about 1 in 33,446,140 per play, or roughly 1 in 133,784,560 for a single seven-number selection. A win like this one is real — and rare by design.

Every Lotto Max draw is independent and random. No combination is ever owed to anyone, and the fact that 5, 6, 16, 30, 33, 43 and 51 landed on June 26 tells you nothing about what the next draw will do. Past results don't nudge the odds one way or the other; that's the whole point of a fair draw. So when you read a winner story like this, enjoy it for what it is — a rare, real piece of luck — rather than a signal to change how you play.

One bit of good news for Canadian winners: standard lottery winnings in Canada are generally not taxed as income, so a $40-million jackpot stays $40 million. Treat that as general information rather than tax advice — anyone claiming a large prize should confirm the details with the lottery corporation and a qualified professional.

Play for fun, and only with money you've set aside for it. Lotto Max is entertainment, not an income plan. If gambling ever stops feeling fun, free and confidential help is available across Canada — in Quebec, Jeu: aide et référence at 1-800-461-0140, and elsewhere ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600 or your provincial helpline.

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