Saskatoon man claims second-largest lottery jackpot in Sask. history

Matthew Poppel is still having a hard time believing he could be so lucky.

The Saskatoon man won the $55-million jackpot on the Oct. 19 Lotto Max draw, the second-largest lottery win in Saskatchewan’s history.

Poppel joked around with a friend the next day after hearing someone in Saskatoon was holding the golden ticket.

Little did he know it was him until he checked his three tickets online.

“The first one didn’t win anything, the second one won a free play and the last one said 55 followed by a bunch of zeroes,” Poppel said. “I thought the app was just telling me the winning amount, not that my ticket had won that amount.

“I did not think for a second that I had actually won $55 million, I did not expect that to be something that happened to me.”

Poppel plans to use his windfall to help his parents retire, but said he’s going to take some time deciding what to do with the rest.

“I was thinking — and joking — that I should buy a luxury vehicle just because I can,” he laughed. “But now I think it’s a good idea. I can buy it, so why not?”

Poppel’s win comes in just behind a $60-million prize won by a Neville resident in August 2016 and is Saskatchewan’s third million-dollar lottery win in 2021.

Poppel purchased his winning ticket at Pinnacle Gas & Food on Faithfull Avenue in Saskatoon.