Lottery players in the Canadian province of British Columbia now have an additional six months to claim prizes for tickets with an expiry date between March 17 and September 17, 2020, operator BCLC has announced.

The extension applies to all national and BC draw-based lottery games and has been introduced “in recognition that physical-distancing requirements to help stop the spread of COVID-19 may affect players’ ability to claim prizes,” the BCLC said.

Players who purchase lottery tickets for draw-based games usually have up to a year from
the date of the draw to claim their prize. The six-month extension also applies to all Scratch & Win tickets with the same expiry dates.

During the COVID-19 outbreak, BCLC is encouraging players to put their health and safety first by following the Provincial Health Officer’s directions.