Winner doubles and quadruples her earnings in Keno-style game

By Kate Northrop

MONTRÉAL, Canada — A couple from Quebec has a plenty of reason to celebrate after bringing home a $200,000 (US$147,260) prize in the June 9 Banco lottery draw.

Suzanne Lussier Godère of Estrie regularly buys tickets for the Banco lottery, her personal favorite game, using the same numbers every time. Her patience paid off, and she managed to match eight numbers in the draw. Not only that, but she doubled and then quadrupled her earnings by wagering $2 instead of $1 and selecting the Turbo option, which turned out to be 4x in that drawing.

In a virtual interview with Loto-Québec, Suzanne said she was thankful for her incredible luck. "This is the second time I've won, since my first prize in life's lottery are my 57 years of marriage!" she said.

Suzanne bought the lucky ticket at the Provi-Soir convenience store on Rue Short in Sherbrooke. She looked up the draw results the next morning and said she had to check her ticket four times. After confirming that her numbers did indeed earn her a hefty prize, she was still in utter disbelief.

She immediately woke up her husband, Jacques, and told him the great news, to which he had a strong reaction.

"It can't be!" he exclaimed. Jacques was reportedly so happy that he was in tears.

The first thing she plans on doing with the prize is to buy a new refrigerator. Aside from home appliances, she intends on investing some and spoiling her two children.

"I have two boys, so we're going to give them a breath of life," she laughed.

While the couple was clearly ecstatic about the big lottery payout, Suzanne made a point to emphasize that she is thankful for the close bond she shares with her husband.

"At the age we're at — we have been married for 57 years — the only lottery that we can say that we want, apart from the $200,000, is that we are both still aging together," she said. "That is the best deal you can ask for."