PHUC Duc (Daniel) Chau loves the Bubly brand of sparkling water and stopped in a convenience store to purchase a can. He likes to buy lottery tickets based on a gut feeling, and due to the employee’s bubbly nature while he purchased his Bubly, Chau also purchased a Lotto Max ticket for the May 23 draw.   

It was this ticket that ended up scoring Chau a whopping $40-million jackpot.   

“I was at work when I found out,” recalled Chau of the moment he realized he won. “I was going through my bag to find a cough drop, but I saw that I had two lottery tickets in my bag and decided to scan the tickets, but I needed to update the [BCLC Lotto!] app first. The first ticket I didn’t win anything, but the second said $40 million. I have never seen that many zeroes in my life, ever. I dropped my phone and then called BCLC right away!” 

At the time of the prize claim, the Vancouver resident hadn’t yet shared the news of his win.   

“My partner doesn’t know yet! I want to share the news with them in a special way.”   

Chau shared that his dream has always been to travel the world. “There are so many places I want to go to, so I haven’t fully decided!”  

When asked if he will quit his job, he said, “I haven’t decided, but I want to continue to support my community in a different way.”  

On how it feels to be a multimillionaire?   

“It means a lot to me. It opens up an opportunity for me to give back to my family, community and the world all around me. It’s not meaningful unless you can share this with those who need it.”   

Chau purchased the winning ticket at the 7-Eleven on Imperial Street and Boundary Road in Burnaby.   

So far in 2025, B.C. lottery players have redeemed more than $146 million from Lotto Max. Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 p.m. (PST).