A lot of folks spend their hard earned dollars gambling. They expect that when they put down their dollars they will have a reasonable chance to win.
Most small betting is done at events and in most cases support a local charity or program. The most used form of gambling in this case is a 50/50 draw. When the tickets are sold at an event and the draw is completed, 50 per cent of the money goes to the winner and 50 per cent goes to the charity or program.
Simple, that is until the folks at B.C. Lottery get involved. At the local hockey games for years, they have held a 50/50 draw with, as said above, the funds going to the winner and in this case the B.C. Hockey Hall of Fame. Common sense was that if you did not hear the number and or maybe you left early, you had a week to pick up the prize money. If it was not picked up, the winning funds were given with the next draw. Now for some unknown reason the 50/50 at the hockey games states that due to B.C. Lottery regulations, you have 10 minutes to claim your prize. If not claimed the funds are not added to the next draw.
I do not purchase the 50/50 but have talked to so many at the game that do and they are baffled by this regulation. What is the rationale for a 10 minute rule? Who in their right mind would come up with a stupid regulation like this?
Come on B.C. Lottery, lets hear your common sense rationale for this. I for one am really looking forward to hearing why you would put this in place. It should be good reading material. How about the background and who came up with this hair-brained idea, and just how can folks at the Lottery Corporation all get bonuses when they manage like this?
Bob Otway
Penticton