British Columbia Lottery Corporation: Cross-Country Family Visit Pays $37 Million

B.C. Woman and Ontario Brother Share LOTTO 6/49 Jackpot

RICHMOND, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwire - Jan. 4, 2008) - British Columbia Lottery Corporation congratulates Alycia Heitt of Delta, B.C. and her brother Larry McAuliffe of Peterborough, Ontario. The brother and sister shared in the purchase of the winning Lotto 6/49 ticket for the January 2, 2008 draw and today claimed their jackpot prize of $37,344,184 from OLG.

After purchasing the ticket in Peterborough on December 30, Alycia flew home on December 31. The 41-year old office manager for a forest products company decided to check the winning numbers on www.bclc.com from her desk at work yesterday. "I was saying to myself, Oh my god I think I won, and I had my assistant check the numbers too," Alycia said.

After first visiting the British Columbia Lottery Corporation, Alycia quickly decided to return on the red-eye flight to Ontario to claim her prize as the winning ticket had to be validated by OLG. She also left an urgent message for her brother, "She asked me if I was sitting down, and at first I didn't believe her!" Larry said.

Alycia plans to return to B.C. "to train someone else to do my job" and then think about the future with her husband and their four children ages 15 to 22. Plans likely include a new house and a family vacation. Today also marks her daughter's 22nd birthday. Larry, age 39, has already left his job as a service technician and installer for a water products company. A single father of four boys ages 12-19 says he will likely invest for the future as well as "buy some things for kids than I could never afford on my own." The winning ticket was sold at the Lansdowne Mall in Peterborough.

"We're happy about the big jackpot win in Ontario and even happier half of the cash is going to make its way back to B.C.," said Owen Gormley, Corporate Communications Officer.

Lotto 6/49 is the national lottery game drawn on Wednesdays and Saturdays after 6 p.m. (PST). Players can purchase tickets at any lottery retailer or at PlayNow on bclc.com. Group release forms for people playing in groups can be obtained at local lottery retailers or on bclc.com. The sale of lottery tickets to anyone under 19 is prohibited by law.

BCLC is a provincial Crown Corporation reporting to the Minister of Public Safety and Solicitor General through a Board of Directors. Its mission is to offer responsible gaming entertainment, generating income for the public good.