VANCOUVER -- Lotto officials were waiting to hear from the four ticket holders who won a share of what is touted as the largest lotto jackpot in Canadian history.
A spokesman for the British Columbia Lotto Corporation says three of the winning tickets for Saturday's $63.4-million 649 jackpot were purchased in B.C.'s lower mainland.
Chris Fairclough says the fourth was purchased in Alberta.
He says each ticket holder will walk away with approximately $15.85 million.
The previous Canadian lottery record was $54.3 million, a 649 draw that was won in 2005 by a group of 17 oil and gas workers in Camrose, Alta.
Before Saturday's draw lotto officials had estimated the jackpot would be about $55-million, but Fairclough says a massive spike in last minute ticket sales boosted it.
"I've never seen four tickets split the jackpot and then to have three in British Columbia, Fairclough said."
The winners have 52 weeks to come forward, Fairclough added.
"I don't imagine I would wait 52 weeks if I was holding the golden ticket ... it could be tomorrow morning, it could be six weeks from now, it could be 45 weeks from now," he said.
"Usually people will give it a week or two to go talk to their financial planner or get some advice, just sit down and think about what they want to do and then they start to come forward."
