50/50 Oilers finally draw winning ticket
The saga of the record breaking Aug. 7 Oilers 50/50 playoff raffle appears to have come to an end as the winning ticket was drawn Friday.
The winning ticket, number A-37051557, was drawn at Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) headquarters Friday and was posted online shortly after noon.
The total pot for the raffle is $14.1 million, meaning one Albertan will walk away with just over $7 million. The other half will go to local organizations through the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation.
OEG spokesman Tim Shipton said they were pleased and excited to draw the ticket Friday.
“What’s really most important, and it’s something we’ve stressed from Day 1, is that the dollars raised from this 50/50 are going to go to where they’re needed most in our community,” said Shipton.
Shipton said OEG and the foundation haven’t made any decision on what organizations will receive funds. He said they have two pillars, funding access to hockey for underprivileged kids and improving Edmonton’s downtown, that will guide where the money goes.
The draw came after multiple setbacks brought on by technical issues. Many went online the day of the raffle to complain that they could not purchase tickets. As the day went on many people in the province, including people living within blocks of Rogers Place, said they were blocked by a message claiming they were not in Alberta.
After the issues around purchasing tickets were resolved, many customers found they had been charged multiple times. Ticket buyers who were charged multiple times were then given a chance to have their purchases refunded.
The company previously voided about 12,800 of 297,000 purchases. Buyers had until noon Aug. 13 to apply for refunds by forwarding duplicate confirmations to Void5050@edmontonoilers.com.
The foundation delayed the draw for the world-record-breaking ticket Wednesday when customers came forward saying their refunds had not been completed. The total pot dropped by about $1 million once refunds were completed.
Shipton said Friday that some refunds are still being processed and some customers may not see their money returned until next week. He said if anyone has concerns they should contact the foundation.
The delays have now caused the anticipation for the draw to last longer than the Oilers playoff run after the team was eliminated from the NHL’S return to play after four games against the Chicago Blackhawks.
The series saw multiple raffles break records as numbers climbed with each game. The Game 3 raffle sold out of tickets, forcing the foundation to close the fundraiser.
The playoffs came after the Alberta government allowed for online raffles to take place. Previously, only those in attendance at games could purchase tickets.