The B.C. Lottery Corporation has re-introduced an option that allows for people to buy tickets for a number of games in advance, in its latest effort to support physical distancing measures due to the pandemic.
The Advance Buy options had been suspended on March 25, to safeguard players in the event that COVID-19 affected future draws.
In a statement on Monday (April 20), BCLC said the decision to re-introduce the online ticket feature came after advice from health officials and “in light of the feedback from players and retailers that suspending the option prompted players to leave their homes more frequently than they would should they be able to purchase in advance.”
One retail worker complained about the policy last week and called for in-person sales to be suspended, saying at the time that “You can only buy one draw at a time now. So, unfortunately, the backlash on that is it encourages people to come out more. You can’t get five plays in a row.”
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The applicable games include Lotto 6/49, Lotto Mac, Daily Grand and BC/49.
Players of these draw-based games can now purchase up to eight consecutive draws (four weeks) in advance.
BCLC continues to encourage players to put their health and safety first by staying home except for essential purchases with lottery tickets are available online at PlayNow.com or on the iOS version of the BCLC Lotto! app.
