Over the years, the British Columbia Lottery Corporation has awarded some amazing lottery prizes and 2023 was no exception. According to the Crown agency, throughout 2023 it paid out more than CA$859 million in lottery prizes from more than 101 million winning tickets sold at both retail locations and on PlayNow.com, its official iGaming platform.
BCLC is a state-run and social-purpose company responsible for providing gambling entertainment while also being committed to delivering win-wins for the greater good of British Columbia. Its online gambling platform, PlayNow, is the only regulated gambling operator in the province and its proceeds are invested in healthcare, education and community programs in B.C.
Some Big Winners in 2023
One of the biggest lottery highlights from 2023 belongs to Scott Gurney from Sidney, who took home a CA$55-million jackpot from Lotto Max. His ticket was the winning one in the February 28, 2023 draw of the nationwide game. Mr. Gurney’s windfall was the largest recorded lottery win in the province throughout the whole of 2023.
In terms of winnings by regions, Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley saw their players cash out on CA$459.9 million in total prizes with 45.5 million in redeemed winning tickets. There were 34 grand prizes worth CA$500,000 or more. Meanwhile, the Northern B.C. region witnessed CA$59.5 million in total prizes from 9.4 million winning tickets and two prizes of CA$500k or more
Additionally, the Thompson Okanagan area pocketed approximately CA$144 million from lottery windfalls in 2023. The region had a total of 14.1 million winning tickets and six big winnings of CA$500,000 or more. Then there is the Kootenay region with total winnings of CA$24.4 million and 4 million winning tickets. The region had two cash outs of CA$500,000 or above.
Last but not least, Vancouver Island recorded lottery winnings of CA$112.3 million for its players across 2023. The region was the one with the third-most prizemoney delivered to its residents, which arrived from 17.8 million winning tickets from retail locations or online purchases. There were a solid 13 grand prizes in the area worth CA$500,000 or more.
Providing CA$1.6B in Net Income to B.C.
A few months ago, BCLC issued its Annual Service Plan Report and Accountability Disclosure Report for the fiscal 2022/23. It disclosed that for the FY, the Crown agency contributed record-setting net income of CA$1.636 billion. Around CA$1.624B went to the Province of B.C. and another CA$12 million were delivered to the federal government.
The improvement in net proceeds can be explained in part by the opening of the new Cascades Casino Delta, which launched operations in the province in September 2022. Also, 2022-23 saw the launch of the new Lotto 6/49, continued high Lotto Max Jackpot roll patterns, and the integration of its PlayNow to a third Canadian province.
Source: “B.C. Lottery Players Win Big in 2023” BCLC, December 20, 2023
