24 Burnaby co-workers to split $7M after lottery win

Two dozen work colleagues from Burnaby are sharing a $7-million grand prize in what the provincial lottery corporation is calling the largest group win it's ever celebrated in its Vancouver office.

The group, co-ordinated by Iuliana Petrovici, won the Daily Grand top prize of $1,000 per day for life in the April 10 draw, but opted for a $7-million lump-sum payment that works out to $291,666.67 each when split 24 ways.

Petrovici told the B.C. Lottery Corporation at an event celebrating the win Monday that the group plays every lottery game the province offers, but never expected to win a jackpot.

"Did you ever think you'd be standing up here?" asked Dan Beebe, BCLC's chief operating officer, during the event, which was livestreamed on the Lotto BC Facebook page.

"Just in dreams," Petrovici replied.

The group's win is the first Daily Grand jackpot to be awarded in B.C. in 2023, according to Beebe.

In a news release, Petrovici told BCLC she checked the tickets late at night and had to ask her husband to double-check because she was shaking with excitement.

“It was 10:30 p.m. at night, it was late, but I still called a few in the group," the Richmond resident told BCLC.

According to the lottery corporation, the group plans to use its winnings "to purchase new cars, plan dream vacations and complete home renovations, as well as host a lunch for their entire company."

The winning ticket was purchased at Save-On-Foods on Marine Way near Byrne Road in Burnaby.

Daily Grand drawings happen on Mondays and Thursdays each week. To win, players must match all five numbers on the ticket, plus the "grand number." The odds of doing so are 1 in 13,348,188.

BCLC recommends that those playing the lottery in groups take steps to avoid misunderstandings in the event of a collective win.

The corporation suggests groups appoint a "captain" to co-ordinate collecting participants' money, buying tickets, tracking group winnings and posting results. More information on playing the lottery as a group can be found on the BCLC website.