Frequently Asked Questions

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How lottery works

Draw results are available by calling our toll free number at 1-866-815-0222 and choosing option 1, or at BCLC lottery retailers, on Playnow.com, and in various daily and weekly newspapers.

BCLC has stringent physical and procedural security in place to ensure the integrity of all draws.

Draws may be conducted by any method established by BCLC. The most common is through computerized draw technology, such as an Automated Draw Machine (ADM).

More details are available in this brochure, How Are Lottery Numbers Drawn?, or email Consumer Services to receive a copy.

You can check your tickets at a Check a Ticket Terminal (CATT) available in retailers across B.C. or download the new Lotto! app, to scan your tickets on your phone (available for Android and Smart phones). All winning tickets must be validated at a Lotto! retailer and don’t forget to sign the back.

Visit Playnow.com for information about the different games offered and how they are played.

Lotto 6/49 and LOTTO MAX and DAILY GRAND draws are conducted by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation in Toronto. You can watch videos of the Lotto 6/49 and LOTTO MAX draws taking place on Playnow.com. BC/49, Extra, Keno, Pacific Hold'Em Poker and BC 50/50 draws are conducted at our Kamloops office.

A ticket can only be cancelled on the same day it is issued and at the same retail location where the ticket was purchased.

All tickets must be cancelled before the first draw on the ticket occurs.

Pacific Hold'em Poker tickets, Free Play Prize tickets and Exchange tickets cannot be cancelled.

Buying a ticket

Sales are cut off at 7:30 p.m. Pacific time on draw days.

BCLC is authorized to market and distribute lottery tickets within B.C. only.

If you are 19 years of age or older and are visiting our province, you may purchase our lottery products.

Signing the back of your ticket provides greater protection for both the player and retailer by confirming ticket ownership prior to validation or redemption. The ticket must be signed before it can be validated.

You are still able to purchase lottery products from BCLC retailers while in the Game Break program, excluding those at BC Casinos or community gaming centres. You will not be able to play lottery games on PlayNow.com.

Winners

Holders of winning lottery tickets, have up to one year from the draw date to claim their prize, unless otherwise announced by BCLC.

The one year time frame to claim a lottery prize does not include claims for prizes won on Instant tickets. Instant ticket prizes must be claimed prior to the expiry date as written on the ticket or as announced by BCLC. For more information on Instant ticket expiry dates please visit Playnow.com.

We might be interested in hearing from winners after they’ve claimed their prize – for research or marketing purposes for example. As part of the prize claim process, we may ask a winner for consent for BCLC to contact them in the future. 

For information about claiming prizes please visit our claim a prize page.

Unclaimed lottery prizes are those prizes that are not successfully claimed prior to the lottery ticket's expiration (see "How much time do I have to claim a lottery prize?" question above). Unclaimed prizes from national games, e.g. LOTTO 6/49 and LOTTO MAX, are returned to players through future bonus games or promotions. These funds are held separately from British Columbia-only games and are administered by the Interprovincial Lottery Corporation.

Unclaimed prizes from games operated solely by BCLC are accounted for annually as part of BCLC's net income and provided to the provincial government to benefit the people of British Columbia.

Congrats! If you’ve won a major prize that you’re claiming at either our Kamloops or Vancouver office, during the process, our staff will verify your win and then we’ll take your photo and interview you about your win. Your winner story may be shared on BCLC.com, social media, and other news outlets. A short video about your win might also be produced and shared online.

Lottery winnings must be claimed from the lottery jurisdiction that sold the ticket. Please contact the lottery jurisdiction that the ticket was purchased from for further details, contact information appears on the back of the ticket.

In General, Canadian tax authorities do not treat lottery, casino, bingo and eGaming prizes as taxable income, as they are considered to be windfalls. However, tax implications may arise, for example, if a prize is paid as an annuity or taken out of province/country. BCLC recommends consulting a tax advisor about the specific tax implications of a particular prize to a prize winner.

Publicizing information

BCLC publishes a winner’s information for up to two years, starting from the date when the winner is first declared publicly. After this period, BCLC will not publish new material containing a winner’s personal information without the winner’s consent.

It all comes down to transparency and integrity:

  • we want to be transparent with the public and all lottery players;
  • we want to promote the integrity of our games, promotions and contests by demonstrating BCLC pays out to the rightful winner; and
  • we want to effectively market lottery products and fulfil BCLC’s mandate to the Province of British Columbia.

We consider requests for anonymity on a case by case basis, but the exceptions are rare.

BCLC’s role is to ensure that above all else, the integrity of the lottery system is upheld. In addition to conducting a thorough prize claim verification process, one of the most important ways in which we accomplish this is by publicizing winners.

BCLC will not publish the following information about a winner:

  • age
  • address or other contact information
  • personal information belonging to a third party

During the prize claim process, if BCLC incidentally collects personal information that it deems to be sensitive about its winners or other persons, BCLC will protect this sensitive personal information in accordance with BCLC’s Privacy Policy.

As part of the prize claim process, BCLC requires written consent from a winner to publish their personal information. If a prize claimant refuses such consent, a prize may be withheld in accordance with the Rules and Regulations Respecting Lotteries and Gaming.

The amount of information published varies. For example, we may publish more information about winners of larger prizes given there is greater public interest in large prize claims.

Here are the things we may publish about a winner:

  • name (given, middle, and surname)
  • city/town of current residence
  • photograph (of true current appearance)
  • prize details
  • winner’s story
  • occupation
  • employer
  • marital status
  • personal quote
  • other personal information, as volunteered by winners during the prize claim process

Business and retailers

Lottery Retailer Prospects

Interested in becoming a lottery retailer or being a part of the Retail Stores Group program? Find more information here.

Suppliers — BC Bid and Non BC Bid

Procurement is the acquisition of goods and/or services for the direct use of corporations generally via a contract.

Procurement may involve a bid; if a bid has been solicited, please see doing business with us.

The Procurement department provides corporate services specific to procurement initiatives including bid competition management, sourcing, contract negotiation, and expediting and import/export customer management.

The Procurement Communications Protocol applies to all projects involving the procurement of goods or services.

We ask that you please contact Consumer Services toll free at 1-866-815-0222; agents are available from 7:00 a.m. to midnight daily or you can live chat with us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  

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