From Tumbler Ridge to Richmond, Merritt to Port Alberni, BCLC paid out lottery players in B.C. with a record-breaking $785 million in winnings this year.
In addition to the highest value of prizes paid out in BCLC’s history, a second record was set in 2019 when Richmond’s Joseph Katalinic won $60 million from the July 26 Lotto Max draw – the largest single lottery prize ever awarded in B.C.
“Playing the lottery is about the chance to have life-changing dreams come true and this year’s record-breaking amount of winnings has delivered bigger dreams than ever before for our players,” said Kevin Gass, BCLC’s Vice-President of Lottery Gaming. “Our players won more than 86 million times in British Columbia in 2019 – now that’s something to celebrate.”
B.C. also had a flurry of four consecutive $1 million Guaranteed Lotto 6/49 Prize wins from Nov. 20 to 30, only the second time that has ever happened in B.C.
Some of this year’s big winners included:
*Richmond’s Joseph Katalinic - $60M Lotto Max winner
*Surrey’s Michelle De Roma - $39.5M Lotto Max winner
*Merritt’s Rowena Inyallie & George Munro $25.9M Lotto Max winners
*Telkwa’s Kenneth & Susan Salter $20M Lotto Max winners
*Tumbler Ridge’s Vivienne Mills - $10.1M Lotto 6/49 winner
*Port Alberni’s Madelaine & Harold Thomas - $5M Lotto 6/49 winners
Last year, more than $1 billion generated by BCLC gambling activities, including lottery, went back into health care, education and community groups across B.C.
