Claim a Prize
Congratulations, you've won! Now what?
Extending tickets expiry date: To help stop the spread of COVID-19 and support physical distancing requirements, BCLC has extended the expiry by six months for tickets with an expiry date between March 17 and September 17, 2020. Learn more
Know before you claim
- Sign your ticket with your full legal name. Prizes will only be paid out to the rightful ticket owner(s) or Group Trustee.
- Bring two (2) pieces of valid government-issued ID that includes a recent photo, date of birth and full legal signature.
- Ensure the winning ticket isn’t expired! All prizes must be claimed prior to the expiry date on the ticket (for Scratch & Win tickets, the expiry is on the back of the ticket. For lottery, the expiry is one year after the draw date.) BCLC cannot honour prizes on expired tickets.
How to claim your prize
All lottery retailers (except Lotto Express) must pay prizes up to $200 and have the ability to pay up to $2,000. However, most retailers do not keep large sums of cash on hand for security reasons. Therefore, a Casino or Community Gaming Centre may be a better option as they will generally have cash to pay claims between $200 and $2,000.
Average claim time: 15 minutes
Please visit a designated Regional Prize Payout Location across B.C. that can pay prizes up to $9,999.99. Prizes between $2,000.01 and $9,999.99 may be claimed only during the hours as shown.
Average claim time: 30 to 45 minutes
Prizes of any amount (and specifically those equal to or greater than $10,000) can be claimed at a BCLC corporate office and are made payable by cheque—only claims greater than $25 million will be paid via wire transfer. Please call 1-800-815-0222 to make an appointment when visiting a corporate office.
- Mondays (or Tuesdays after a statutory holiday) tend to see a higher volume of prize claims. Processing wait times may be longer than other days of the week.
- Free parking is available for winners at both offices located at the front of the building and will be identified with appropriate signage.
- Group claims of $10,000 or more require a Group Prize Agreement Form.
- Please note that BCLC has to verify all Prize Claims before payment is made and your prize may not be paid our the same day.
Average claim time: Based on prize amount. See below for details.
Prizes must be claimed at any retailer where these games are sold. These tickets can also be presented to BCLC or Regional Prize Payout locations for payment.
Prizes must be claimed at the same location and on the same date where purchased. BCLC does not pay out on Pull Tabs.
These must be claimed in person from a BCLC corporate office.
Prize claim processing times
Claim times can vary, but the following guidelines should assist in planning your time.
Prize Value |
Claim Time |
|---|---|
Prizes up to $2,000 |
15 minutes |
$2,000.01 - $9,999.99 |
30 to 45 minutes |
$10,000.00 - $25,000.00 |
2 hours |
$25,000.00 - $499,999.99 |
2 to 3 hours |
$500,000.00 - $9,999,999 |
3 to 5 hours |
Jackpots $10 Million + |
2-day process |
Recommended arrival times
Please follow the guidelines below as to when you should arrive at either of BCLC’s corporate offices.
Prize Value |
Arrival Time |
|---|---|
$10,000.00 - $25,000.00 |
Before 2pm |
$25,000.01 - $499,999.99 |
Before 12pm |
$500,000.00 + |
Before 10am |
Please note that BCLC has to verify all Prize Claims before payment is made and your prize may not be paid out the same day.
By Mail
Prize Value |
Claim Time |
|---|---|
Mail-In-Claim (prizes below $9,999.99) |
10-15 business days from date received |
Prizes up to $9,999.99 may be claimed by mailing your ticket to the Kamloops Player Services office at:
BCLC
P.O. Box 1080
Kamloops, BC V2C 6H2
Please sign the front of your ticket with your full signature and completely fill out the back of the original winning ticket (including name, address, and telephone number). Ensure that a daytime phone number is included as the Player Services department may need to contact you for further information.
We also recommend that you make copies of the front and back of the ticket for your records.
You must also include a copy of valid, government-issued, photo identification (e.g. Driver’s Licence or BCID) along with the original ticket. In order to protect your privacy, BCLC recommends that when sending ID, black out any identifying numbers (eg. Driver’s Licence Number). We also highly recommend covering any personal information that isn’t required for the claiming process, including your height, weight, eye and hair colour.
You may wish to consider the different options available through Canada Post/courier when mailing items of value. All risks of mailing tickets to BCLC remain with the player and we encourage players to use registered mail to track ticket(s).
Provincial customer support hours
Daily 7 a.m. to 12 a.m. PST
Due to higher than normal volumes, email response time is between 7 to 10 business days. We appreciate your patience as we work hard to get back to you as soon as possible,
Contact us via email at any time, 24/7
Live chat
Chat with us. We're here every day from 8am-midnight PST.
GameSense Advisor support is available via PlayNow live chat
Call us
Our team is available daily from 7am-midnight PST.
Please note: Our Kamloops and Vancouver offices are currently closed to the public.