Ingo Abresch won $13 million through a BCLC Lotto Max. (Photo submitted/BCLC)

By Nick Nielsen

September 23 draw

Kelowna resident wins $31 million Lotto Max

Dec 23, 2025 | 3:12 PM

The family of Kelowna resident Ingo Abresch is going to have a very different Christmas this year. While at work, Abresch decided to check her BCLC PlayNow.com account, and that’s when he learned of the big prize put he had won off a Lotto Max draw on September 23, 2025.

“I looked at my account and saw a big number in the right corner. I clicked on the ticket, and the song rang,” explained Abresch. “I was dumbfounded, there were lots of zeros!”

Abresch also called his wife, who had to check the number to make sure it wasn’t a scam when she was told her family had just won $31 million.

“[She] was hugely skeptical about it,” says Abresch. “Even when I phoned her, she had to ask who was calling – she thought it was a scam.”

Calling the win surreal and unbelievable, Abresch says that his family doesn’t plan on changing their lifestyle too much other than ‘a few more trips’ and ‘not worry when dining out’.

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So far, B.C. lottery players have won a total of over $243 million in winnings.