William Scott Gurney thought he was going to have a productive workday, until he stopped in his tracks after learning he won a life-changing $55-million jackpot from the February 28, 2023 Lotto Max draw.
“I was sitting in my office, [the jackpot news] was all over the radio,” recalled Gurney, who checked his ticket on the BCLC Lotto! App. “I called my assistant to my office, and she initially read the number on my phone as $55,000 — she then realized it said $55 million and we couldn’t do anything all day after.”
BCLC awarded the prize today during a celebration in Greater Victoria to mark the largest prize ever won from a ticket purchased on Vancouver Island. Gurney is taking some time to fully decide what’s next, but he plans to help his family and purchase a home on Vancouver Island — something with a dock, as he loves crabbing. He also hopes to purchase a vacation home and travel.
The Sidney resident is a bookkeeper by profession and is focused on finding someone to look after his clients before retiring but confirmed that he “will not be returning for another tax season.” On how it feels to win? “It’s life altering. It just doesn’t seem real.” Gurney purchased the winning ticket at the Save-On-Foods on Beacon Avenue in Sidney.
In 2022, B.C. lottery players redeemed more than $173 million from Lotto Max. Lotto Max is a nationwide lottery game drawn on Tuesdays and Fridays after 7:30 p.m. (PST).
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