Spencer Dyson, an 83-year old retiree from Chilliwack City in British Columbia, Canada, got the surprise of his life after scratching out the “Set for Life Scratch & Win” ticket he bought at Wal-Mart. The scratched out surface of the ticket revealed three “CASH-25 Years” identical symbols in the same game area, which was all he needed to win the top annuity prize of CA$1,000 a week for 25 years.
His many years of buying British Columbia Lottery Corporation’s (BCLC) “Set for Life Scratch & Win” ticket finally paid off, although the winning card was a free play ticket from a previously purchased scratchcard. Dyson had no hand in selecting the extra card, since the store clerk made a random pick at Dyson’s behest. The following day, the octogenarian presented the winning free ticket for verification to the same store clerk and he recalls that “her eyes got really big,” upon seeing the three identical “CASH-25 Years” symbols.
The lucky Chilliwack retiree though, preferred to receive the lump sum amount of CA$675,000 instead of receiving CA$1,000 a week for 25 years. Had Dyson chosen the latter, it could have technically amounted to CA$1,300,000 total, albeit spread out annually for 25 years at roughly CA$52,000 a year (52 weeks/year x CA$1,000.) However, the amount of the alternative lump sum cash prize is subject BCLC’s terms and conditions for Instant Ticket Games.
Dyson and his wife plans to put the prize money in a bank while making plans on how they will spend it. One of which, is to spend some in upgrading their home that Dyson says is already 25 years old and needs some repairing. Another plan mentioned by the 83-year old retiree is of going back to Cuba to stay there for a month since their last visit was 15 years ago.
About BCLC “Set for Life Scratch & Win” Game
BCLC’s “Set for Life” lottery game, which costs CA$5 to play, has five sets of scratch and win games in a single ticket. The scratch and win game has over CA$20 million in cash prizes at stake, including 12 major jackpots of CA$1,000-a-Week-for 25-Years.
Aside from the CA$1,000-a-Week Jackpot, “Set for Life Scratch and Win” players could also win any of the 10 lower prizes of CA$100,000. A ticket holder, who unravels three identical prize symbols in any of the game played, is entitled to receive the revealed prize. If a game area reveals the “Sweet Free Ticket” symbol, the player receives a free “Set for Life Scratch and Win” ticket.
Based on BCLC’s Instant Ticket Game conditions, a winner of annuity prizes, such as the CA$1,000-a-Week-for 25-Years, has the option to receive a single lump sum payment, for which the determination of the equivalent amount is solely and absolutely at the discretion of the British Columbia lottery corporation. If a player decides to receive the lump sum cash, he or she extinguishes his/her entitlement to the annuity payments.
In the event in which a winner who elected to receive a non-life periodic annuity payment passes away prior to the end of the period by which annuity payments are completed, the BCLC commits to pay to the deceased winner’s executor or administrator, the present value of the unpaid periodic payments.