A Keno player won a million euros on September 19 by selecting numbers significant to Céline Dion’s life. This win follows other unconventional success stories, including a Loto player who used kitchen barcodes for his grid and three winners who chose numbers linked to world wars. Another player won €160.8 million by randomly selecting numbers on a broken screen, while a EuroDreams winner netted €7.2 million by choosing numbers associated with four.
On September 19, a Keno player struck gold, winning one million euros by selecting significant dates from Céline Dion’s life. This lucky individual, who wishes to remain anonymous, had been participating regularly for 13 years, utilizing two grids: one reflecting personal milestones and another featuring dates meaningful to the singer. This unexpected winning strategy is set to transform their life. Interestingly, this isn’t the only instance of players securing jackpots with unconventional combinations.
Kitchen Inspiration: Vitamins and Spicy Sauce
For the Loto draw on December 31, 2020, a player from Isère took a humorous approach to selecting his numbers. Drawing inspiration from his kitchen, he used the barcode of vitamin products like goji berries and acerola, which were on his table at the time. He also incorporated a barcode from a nearby spicy sauce. “You need to add some flavor to your life,” he shared with Dauphiné Libéré.
As he watched the draw unfold on TV, he didn’t initially realize he had won. At that moment, he and his wife were discussing renovations for their home and planning to support their descendants.
World War Numbers Lead to Three Winners
In a remarkable twist in 2023, three individuals—unacquainted with one another—coincidentally played the same Lotto numbers associated with world wars. The numbers 14, 18, 21, 39, 45, and the lucky number 8 each netted them two million euros, according to Le Parisien. The 14-18 refers to the First World War, while 39-45 represents the Second World War; the number 21 signifies the years between the two conflicts, and 8 represents the surrender of Nazi Germany on May 8, 1945.
One winner planned to invest in a property, another aspired to travel to Asia, while the third envisioned a more peaceful future. Interestingly, one of these players has a relative who was among the first to win a million euros in the National Lottery nearly 90 years ago, precisely between the two world wars.
Broken Screen Leads to Unexpected Numbers
Sometimes, luck arises in unexpected ways. In April 2024, a Loto player found himself in a rush, less than 10 minutes before the grid validation deadline. As he grabbed his phone, he discovered he couldn’t click on his usual numbers due to a broken screen. “I selected the only numbers I could see on my screen. The timer was ticking away, and I just wanted to submit my grid in time,” he told FDJ. The following day, he thought he had won 166,000 euros. To his astonishment, his actual prize was a staggering 160,800,000 euros.
With such a fortune, the winner and his wife are excited about traveling the globe. “In the past, we enjoyed coffee in beautiful places. Now, we can book a room too,” they joked, also expressing their interest in purchasing a seaside home.
Fortune in the Number Four
In 2024, a EuroDreams winner from southern France made headlines with a uniquely structured grid. All chosen numbers were connected to the number 4, either containing it or being divisible by it. The winning combination consisted of 4, 14, 24, 34, 40, 28, along with Dream number 4. This extraordinary selection earned the player an astounding prize of 20,000 euros each month for 30 years, totaling an impressive 7.2 million euros.