The only thing worse than a losing lottery ticket is a winning one collecting dust.
In the last ten fiscal years, $19.7 million dollars has gone unclaimed in the Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49, and Daily Grand.
That money goes back into the pot and Media Relations Representative with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Erica Simpson said there is no excuse not to claim your prize.
“BCLC has now made it easier than ever to check your lottery ticket. You can download the BCLC Lotto app onto your phone or check it right from your desktop computer and it’s instantaneous,” said Simpson. “You just scan your ticket right from your phone or your computer, you can go back to the retailer where you purchased your ticket.”
Simpson said, “You can go back to any retailer that sells BC lottery products and have your tickets checked.”
Since April 1, more than two million dollars have gone unclaimed; more than $1.36 million from the Lotto 6/49, more than $631,000 dollars in the Lotto Max, and nearly $54,000 in the Daily Grand.
Simpson said significant unclaimed prize money is rare, especially when you consider how much has been claimed.
“I think it’s important to keep in mind that unclaimed prizes are extremely rare, most unclaimed prizes are a very small amount, like a few dollars or a free play,” said Simpson. “It’s extremely rare for us to see $10,000 or more go unclaimed.”
“In the 2018-19 fiscal year, BCLC paid out more than $781 million to lottery prize winners,” said Simpson.
There are two significant pots that haven’t been claimed, both in Richmond, both in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
A Lotto Max ticket purchased on July 26 is worth $105,837.60 and a 6/49 ticket purchased on October 2 is worth $252,044.40.
Players have one year to claim their prize from the date of purchase and unclaimed prize money goes back into the lottery.
