A $500,000 lottery ticket sold in Vancouver remains unclaimed, prompting the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) to urge players to check their tickets. The winning ticket was purchased for a draw earlier this month, but the lucky holder has yet to come forward.
How to Claim the Prize
The BCLC advises that winners have 52 weeks from the draw date to claim their prize. To claim, the ticket must be presented at a BCLC office or mailed in with a completed claim form. Winners can also call BCLC’s customer service for guidance.
“We encourage everyone who bought a ticket for that draw to double-check their numbers,” said a BCLC spokesperson. “It’s easy to overlook a ticket in a wallet or drawer, so please take a moment to verify.”
Where the Ticket Was Sold
The winning ticket was purchased at a retail location in Vancouver, though BCLC has not disclosed the specific store to protect the winner’s privacy until the claim is processed. The prize is the second-largest unclaimed amount in the province this year.
Unclaimed lottery prizes are not kept by BCLC; instead, they are returned to players through future promotions and prizes. In 2025, over $10 million in prizes went unclaimed across British Columbia.
Lottery officials remind players to sign the back of their tickets immediately after purchase to establish ownership. If a ticket is lost or stolen, the claim process becomes more complicated and may require additional verification.
The BCLC also warns against scams: legitimate lottery winners are never asked to pay fees upfront to receive their winnings. Any communication requesting payment is fraudulent.
As the deadline approaches, BCLC expects increased ticket checks at retailers and online. The last major unclaimed prize in Vancouver was $1 million in 2023, which was eventually claimed just days before the expiry date.
