(Reuters) – Christmas came early for 165 people from the small village of Olmen in northern Belgium, winning 142,897,164 euros in the EuroMillions this week, the biggest collective win ever recorded in Belgium.

Each person will receive about 900,000 euros tax-free, EuroMillions spokesman Jock Vermore told Reuters.

She added that it was the first time in Belgium that such a large group had achieved such success. “It’s a great story, really.”

The winners all put £15 into a pot at the local store and their owners buy a regular EuroMillions group, resulting in occasional wins but never the big jackpot.

“Many winning customers were in disbelief at first,” said shop owner Wim van Brokoven, who was as surprised as his wife when he heard the winning numbers.

“The winners come from all walks of life, but no matter what, everyone can use this money, especially with the holidays just around the corner and the current energy crisis,” commented Wim van Brokoven.

Among the winners was a young woman in her twenties who plans to buy a house for herself and her dogs, he said.

EuroMillions is a lottery game from La Française des Jeux. It is also a collaboration between a dozen European lotteries: France, United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Switzerland and Luxembourg.

(Written by Charlotte van Campenhout; French version by Elena Smirnova, edited by Blandin Henault)