Island lottery winners share their good news in a game of 'telephone' with friends

Donald and Janice MacDonald shared the news of their lucky break by taking some friends out for dinner and playing a game of "telephone." (BCLC)

Vancouver — A Vancouver Island couple is $1 million richer after winning a recent Lotto 6/49 guaranteed prize draw.

Donald and Janice MacDonald shared the news of their lucky break by taking some friends out for dinner and playing a game of "telephone," according to a news release from the British Columbia Lottery Corporation.

“We took two couples out for dinner,” said Janice MacDonald in the BCLC release.

"During dessert, I said, ‘Let’s play a game of telephone.’ That’s the one where you whisper something in their ear and then they whisper it in the next person’s ear. We told them they couldn’t react to what they heard. It was so fun watching them hear it and try not to react."

The couple purchased their winning ticket at Royal Oak Country Grocer in Saanich. It was selected as the winner during the July 28 Lotto 6/49 draw.

The odds of winning the guaranteed $1 million prize depend on the number of tickets sold for that particular draw. The odds of winning the Lotto 6/49 grand prize are one in 13,983,816, according to BCLC.

Donald MacDonald told BCLC he was "stunned" when he realized his ticket was a winner.

“I was in the Shoppers (Drug Mart) in Royal Oak,” he said. “I thought I had won $1,000 and then I put my glasses on and realized there were a lot more zeros.”

When it comes to deciding what to do with their winnings, the couple plans to "take it slow," with a little bit of celebration and a lot of contemplation about how best to spend the money.