Russell Martin was so surprised upon realizing he and his co-workers won $500,000 that the hairs on the back of his neck stood up. The group matched all four Extra numbers on a Double Dip Ticket Pack from the March 6, 2021 Lotto 6/49 and BC/49 draws.
Martin, group captain and Surrey resident, purchased the group’s ticket from Town Pantry on 64th Avenue, and was at 7-Eleven picking up a few items when he decided to check the ticket on the self-checker.
“I saw a whole pile of zeros and I didn’t think it was right,” he recalled. “The hair on the back of my neck stood up! I quickly did the math and realized how much we each won.”
Martin couldn’t wait to tell a fellow group member during their drive to work, and then told the rest of the group once he arrived. “No one believed me and everyone thought I was joking with them,” Martin exclaimed.
Martin and his co-workers have been playing together as a group for seven years.
“This win means something to each of us and will change our lives in different ways. We are all excited and everyone has different plans for the money. Each one of us will be helping out our family.”
On how it feels to win, Martin says “It feels fantastic… It’s nice to share it with people!”
In 2020, B.C. lottery players redeemed more than $32 million in prize-winning, Extra tickets. Say ‘Yes’ to the Extra for the chance to win up to $500,000. The Extra is available with Daily Grand, Lotto 6/49, Lotto Max, and BC/49 at any BCLC lottery retailer or at PlayNow.com.
Lottery players who are part of a group should always appoint someone to coordinate collecting participant’s money, buying the group’s tickets, tracking group winnings and posting results. When purchasing as a group, it's always a good idea to have a record of which group members have contributed to the ticket purchases. BCLC has a Group Play Agreement Form on bclc.com to make it easier to manage group play.
