2015 CX-5 GX AWD
BRITISH COLUMBIA
Controversial computer program off awards list Provincial case management system had been nominated for Premier’s Awards of Innovation and Excellence until the auditor general flagged the $182-million project as troubled. A7
ONLY 4 LEFT
19999
ONLY$
Mixed reaction to o MP’s resignation n
Bi-weekly OR
MP James Lunney’s departure from Tory party elicits thoughts about his political future
$1500
TEST DRIVE ONE TODAY!!
Cash Off
*Auto, with convenience package. All wheel drive. 1.99% for 84 mo. O.A.C. Total obliga tion $36,398.18.
Nanaimo Region, A3
2525 Bowen Rd
250-758-9125
www.harrismazda
.ca
The newspaper of record for Nanaimo and region since 1874 || Saturday, April 4, 2015
FEELING LUCKY? Lottery corporation celebrates 30 years in British Columbia
Brenda Boadway, 60, has been faithfully buying lottery tickets for three decades. [AARON HINKS/DAILY NEWS]
Players still faithfully buying tickets DANIELLE BELL FOR THE DAILY NEWS
B
renda Boadway has been faithfully playing the lottery since the idea of winning a windfall with a lucky ticket was born. Twice a week without fail, she purchases tickets. “I’ve played since it started 30 years ago,” said the 60-yearold, as she bought tickets for tonight’s draw. “You never know. Just like the commercial says, ‘Can you imagine?’” Boadway spent years playing her own numbers, a combination of her and her sister’s birthdays, but now usually does Quick Picks. The jackpots have gotten bigger and bigger over the years. Although she’s easily spent thousands of dollars of her own money and the most she’s won is
» Use your smartphone to jump to our website for updates on these stories or the latest breaking news.
Lottery facts and figures In December 2010, a Nanaimo resident won Canada’s largest-ever lottery prize online, worth $7.6 million on Lotto 6/49.
The largest prizes ever won in B.C. were $50 million LOTTO MAX jackpots in October 2010 and March 2014.
Lotto 6/49 is launched on June 12, 1982.
The largest prize ever won on a single ticket in Canada was a $54.3 million Lotto 6/49 jackpot in Alberta in October 2005.
80 per cent of Lotto 6/49 tickets are sold via Quick Pick. Odds of winning a Lotto 6/49 jackpot: 1:13,983,816
SOURCE: BCLC
$200 here and there, that doesn’t deter her from trying to strike it rich. “I want to win,” said Boadway, who admits her family thinks it’s a waste of money. “I’d probably
have a heart attack (if I won).” Boadway isn’t alone when it comes to fantasizing about financial freedom. Although you have more of a chance of being struck by light-
‘Furious 7’ offers up more serious action
Deal on Iran nukes will limit weapon capability
Like its predecessors, the seventh installment of the hit franchise features a multicultural cast, international settings and a dazzling array of cars. » Movies, B1
If implemented, the understandings would mark the first time in more than a decade of diplomatic efforts that Iran’s nuclear efforts would be rolled back. » Nation & World, A9
Local news .................... A3-5 Markets ...............................A2 B.C. news ............................. A7
Cloudy High 9, Low 4 Details A2
Last year, $615.7 million was awarded to lottery winners in B.C.
ning than winning the lottery, that doesn’t stop people from gambling with their hard-earned cash — gaming has grown into a multibillion-dollar industry that shows no signs of slowing down. The B.C. Lottery Corporation this week celebrated its 30th anniversary. Over the decades, it has generated more than $18 billion for the province to support communities, programs, charitable and community orgnaizations, including education and healthcare. There is a lottery outlet for every 973 adults in B.C., with the province generating the thirdhighest revenue per capita in the country. As many as 75 per cent of adults in B.C. participate in some form of gambling, including buying lottery tickets, according to the ministry of finance.
Editorials and letters ..... A4 Sports .................................. B2 Scoreboard ........................ B4
Classified ............................ B8 Obituaries ........................... B8 Comics ........................ B5, B6
But if the odds of winning are so astronomical, what keeps people coming back week after week? “People tend to overestimate rare events. They give them too much weight in their minds,” said psychologist Luke Clark, director of the Centre for Gambling Research at the University of British Columbia. “The lottery is a very rare event.” But that hasn’t dampened its popularity, said Clark, with the lottery generally considered a ‘safer’ form of gambling. There are several psychological aspects that encompass the lottery player, according to Clark, such as anticipation of regret and an element of control that could keep players coming back week after week, such as those who choose their own numbers. See LOTTERY, Page A6
Crossword ........ B5, B6, B7 Sudoku ................................. A2 Horoscope .......................... B8
Nanaimo Daily News, nanaimodailynews.com and Harbour City Star reach more than 60,000 readers each week in print and online. General inquires: 250-729-4200 | Newsroom: 250-729-4224 | To subscribe: 250-729-4266 | Copyright 2015. All rights reserved
!
i v l E
s i s
ve i l a
$1.25 TAX INCLUDED