Lotto Max jackpot: Delta, B.C. woman wins $12.5M
The mysterious holder of a $50 million lottery ticket from last year has still not been verified
A woman from Delta, B.C. is excited and shocked to have won $12.5 million in the June 5 Lotto Max draw, holding one of only four winning tickets.
Lisa-Marie Draganiuk, a dental hygienist, received her cheque Thursday morning from BC Lottery Corporation, accompanied by her husband, Merle, — but not before paying a special visit to her mother.
"The first thing we did is leave here and go in and pick up my mom from her work with a huge bouquet of flowers and tell her that after 34 years of working at the same job, that she no longer has to work another day in her life," said Draganiuk, to an applauding crowd at the BCLC press conference.
Mystery endures of $50M winner
A lingering mystery however, is the winner of the $50 million jackpot from last year. The ticket holder waited almost a year to collect the prize, and has still not been identified.
Chris Fairclough, spokesperson for the BCLC, said they are still going through the proper verification process for the ticketholder.
"There's a number of questions that go in before you hand in a $50 million cheque," said Fairclough. "In the history of lottery games, I don't recall... the B.C. Lottery Corporation ever taking this long."
- ANALYSIS: $50M Lotto Max win can buy anything except anonymity
- $50M Lotto Max mystery deepens as BCLC tries to verify winner
The ticketholder is reportedly fighting in court to remain anonymous before claiming the prize.
'No immediate decisions'
"We're not making any immediate decisions," she said. "But, as our family is expanding, we will be looking at some real estate in the near future."
"(Child) number one's with Grandpa, and (child) number two is brewing," her husband chimed in, to even louder applause.