Just before the end of 2023, Loto-Québec revealed another epic jackpot win in the province. This time a woman has activated a windfall worth over CA$1 million at Casino Lac-Leamy in Gatineau. The name of the winner is Ashley Sandra Ghavami and she will never forget the date December 28, 2023, as it is the day, she became a millionaire.
Established in 1969, Loto-Québec is a Crown corporation in the Canadian province of Quebec which is responsible for overseeing lottery and gambling in the province. It operates four casinos in the province -Casino Montréal, Casino Charlevoix, Casino Lac-Leamy and Casino Mont-Tremblant, as well as regulated iGaming under its digital platform – Espacejeux.
Joining the Millionaire Club
In a press release from the Crown agency, it was revealed that Ms. Ghavami scored the jackpot from a rare royal flush in spades. She won the amazing windfall of CA$1,089,277 on December 28, 2023, at Casino Lac-Leamy. Once realizing that she had won big and had the right combination, she started to jump out for joy.
It is reported that after playing several hands of poker on that day, she managed to activate and win the entire ‘four casino progressive jackpot.’ This prize is currently offered to three-card poker and Ultimate Texas Hold’em players in the four provincial casinos run by the Crown corporation. Now, the jackpot will reset to its starting amount.
Players can participate in the three-card poker game at tables with blue playing surfaces. They are required to make an initial bet and then proceed to make additional wagers, worth at least CA$5. These bets are accumulated until the main prize is claimed. Now, with the CA$1 million jackpot, the winner plans to share it with her loved one and spoil them.
First Half of 2023-24 Report and More
Loto-Québec issued financial results for the first half of the fiscal 2023-2024, confirming it is on track to meet its goals for the FY. Between April 1 to September 25, 2023, its lottery sector contributed CA$452.8 million of revenue. The period had fewer Lotto Max jackpots and Maxmillions worth CA$50M+ offered. Meanwhile, online lottery revenue amounted to 12.5% of the sector’s total proceeds.
The casino and gaming halls sector delivered approximately CA$527.2 million in earnings. The numbers may be affected due to labour disputes from the summer disrupting some services. However, the unionized employees and the employer reached an agreement in late September. Also, iGaming revenue accounted for 26.3% of the sector’s total proceeds.
On top of its recent fiscal roundup, the Crown corporation also announced that it will be developing a 200-room hotel on Casino Montréal grounds. The Crown corporation will own the hotel, which is on track to open doors in two to three years. A hotel partner will be soon announced for the project, which would see an investment of CA$150 million from the Crown.
Source: Eltherington, William “Woman becomes millionaire after lucky royal flush at Gatineau casino” CTV News Ottawa, December 30, 2023
