Twenty-year-old Brenda Aubin-Vega was on a break from work when a simple scratch of a Gagnant à Vie ticket changed her life. 💰 After revealing three piggy banks, the symbol of a lifetime prize, she stared at the ticket in disbelief, checking it over and over to make sure it was real.
Still shaking, she called her father and decided to take the rest of the day off.
Winners of the game can choose between a $1 million lump sum or $1,000 a week for life, and Aubin-Vega chose the lifetime payments, hoping the steady income will help her achieve her dream of buying a home.
Her lucky ticket was purchased at Dépanneur Jen & Dan, which will receive a $10,000 commission for selling the winning ticket.
20-year-old lottery winner decides against $1M lump sum, opts for lifetime weekly annuity in hopes of buying a home
This Gen Z winner turned down $1M cash for steady income after winning big with Gagnant à Vie
Leticia Gaba, Writer, Yahoo News Canada
Mon, September 15, 2025 at 7:00 p.m. ICT
2 min read
Brenda Aubin-Vega was on her break from work when she scratched a Gagnant à Vie ticket and instantly became a lifetime winner. The 20-year-old from Montreal uncovered three piggy bank symbols on her ticket, and scored the game’s top prize: $1,000 a week for the rest of her life.
“I couldn’t believe my eyes! I checked my ticket over and over again,” she said while claiming her prize with Loto-Québec. Stunned, she called her father, then took the rest of the day off to let it all sink in.
Winners of Gagnant à Vie can choose between a lump sum of $1 million up front or a $1,000 weekly annuity. Aubin-Vega went with the lifetime payout and says she plans to use the steady income to eventually buy a home.
While most winners take the lump sum, opting for the weekly payout can add up. At $1,000 a week, it would take 1,000 weeks — or about 19 years — to reach $1 million. If you were to invest the weekly payments at a 5 per cent growth rate, it would take about 13 years for a future value of $1 million, and about 21 years for $2 million.
Either way, it helps explain why most players choose the upfront money in annuity games like Gagnant à Vie, Grande Vie, and Daily Grand.
The winning ticket was purchased at Dépanneur Jen & Dan on Rue Poirier in Montreal, a store Aubin-Vega regularly visits to treat herself. The retailer will receive a $10,000 commission from Loto-Québec.
Gagnant à Vie (“Winner for Life”) is a $4 scratch ticket game from Loto-Québec with odds of 1 in 1.5 million for the top prize. To win, players must reveal three identical symbols in a single play area — like the piggy banks Aubin-Vega uncovered. Winners have 60 days to choose between the annuity and lump-sum options.
So far in 2025, ten lifetime prizes have been claimed in Quebec across Gagnant à Vie and Grande Vie. Nine were $1,000-a-week Gagnant à Vie wins, while one Grande Vie player landed $25,000 a year for life.
Tools to stop gambling
If you’re looking to take a break from gambling, self-exclusion programs can be effective tools. See here for resources that are available across Canada.
