The BC Lottery Corporation says it was a record-setting year for prizes, taking a tiny bit of the sting out of a miserable 2021 — at least for some people.
In all, more than $891 million in total prizes were paid out, including $421 million to players who purchased winning tickets in the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley.
BCLC sold more than 102 million winning tickets to players at retail locations and online in 2021, which was also a record-breaking total amount.
Burnaby’s purchased one of these tickets and scored the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot on Sept. 28, 2021, becoming the largest single-prize winner in British Columbia’s history.
“As 2021 wraps up, we’re celebrating all of our players and so many amazing, life-changing dreams that came true for lottery winners,” said Lynda Cavanaugh, BCLC’s interim president and CEO, in a statement.
“It's thanks to each one of our players that BCLC generates revenue for the Province of B.C., which in turn invests it back into the communities where our players live and work. It’s a win-win-win, and today we’re celebrating the 48 million winning tickets sold in the Lower Mainland and the Fraser Valley in 2021,” she continued.
Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley lottery highlights:
- $421 million in prizes paid to players
- 48.8 million winning tickets sold
- 36 grand prize-winning tickets sold, valued at $500,000 or more
- 10.6 million free-play tickets won
