Coworkers at Vancouver Irish pub win $1M in inaugural lotto pool

James Browne, who coordinated a lotto pool for his coworkers, poses with a cheque. (Image credit) BC Lottery Corporation)

A group of colleagues in Vancouver won big on their first-ever lotto pool – and toasted their victory at the Irish pub where they all work.

James Browne co-ordinated a pool among 15 coworkers at Foy’s Irish Bar ahead of the Aug. 16 Lotto Max draw, according to the BC Lottery Corporation.

“This is the first time we ever played together,” he told the BCLC.

When scanning the tickets using the app, he learned the group had won $20. Down to the last ticket, he scanned once more and realized they had won $1 million. Browne told the BCLC that he walked to a nearby lotto kiosk to have the ticket scanned because he had a hard time believing they had actually won the jackpot.

Then he shared the news with his coworkers.

“There was a lot of disbelief in the group chat,” Browne told the BCLC, adding that he estimated it took a “good 20 minutes” for the news to sink in and that once it did it still felt “surreal.”

Once the winnings are divided, each person will get just under $67,000. The group has already celebrated once at Foy’s Irish Bar – and plans to do so at least one more time.

Browne purchased the winning ticket at Circle-K on Davie Street in Vancouver.

The odds of winning the $1 million Lotto Max jackpot are approximately one in 33 million.