Winners

From Disbelief to Delight: Mackenzie Resident Wins Over $364K Jackpot on BCLC’s PlayNow.com

February 15, 2023

BCLC Logo

Shannon Stuart didn’t believe the news when she received a call from BCLC that she’d won the progressive jackpot of $364,969.90 after playing the holiday-themed Winning Tree casino game on BCLC’s online gambling platform, PlayNow.com. 

“I kept asking the BCLC employee if this was real. They had to repeat the amount three or four times,” Stuart said. “My husband didn’t believe it, either. He made me find another number online for BCLC and I called back to confirm.”

Once Stuart verified her win, the disbelief quickly turned into exuberant delight. Stuart plans to celebrate the win with a big get-together for her family in the Shuswap and some travel even further beyond for her dream vacation.

“I am going to take my twin sister on a trip to Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. We’re going to go backpacking, so it will be a lot of fun!”

Between all the excitement, Stuart also plans to take some time off work and spend time with her husband. 

“This win means a lot to me,” said Stuart. “It really feels like a windfall right now.”

Available on PlayNow.com from November 30, 2022, to January 4, 2023, the Winning Tree holiday-themed online casino game started with a progressive jackpot of $10,000 and kept growing with a portion of every wager contributing to the final jackpot that Stuart won. Players earned one entry for the jackpot-prize draw for every 10 cents wagered (up to a maximum of 10 entries per day).

Unlike the 800+ gambling websites operating illegally in B.C. and Canada, PlayNow.com is the only one whose profits benefit British Columbians through government investments in things like education, healthcare and community programs. This includes funding for the province’s Community Gaming Grants program, which distributes $140 million annually to not-for-profit organizations. Last year, 230 community organizations in Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Prince George, Prince Rupert and Terrace received funding from the province through its Community Gaming Grants program.

Did you know? Players can set weekly deposit and playing time limits to keep their play a fun experience on PlayNow.com.