Winner of $50 million Lotto Max ticket reportedly trying to stay anonymous

WATCH: A $50-million lottery winner is proving to be more than a little camera shy. The as-yet-unnamed person waited nearly a year to claim the Lotto Max prize. But as John Daly reports, one thing the winner seems to want just as much as the money …is to remain anonymous.

VANCOUVER – The winner of the $50 million Lotto Max ticket, which was purchased in Langley, is reportedly trying to stay anonymous when they claim their prize.

The winning ticket was presented to officials just days before the one-year deadline to claim the prize was set to expire.

The ticket, which was bought on March 14, 2014, has been validated, but the winner remains a mystery. There are reports the winner is prepared to go to court to fight for their anonymity, but no cause has been given as to why.

The B.C. Lottery Corporation (BCLC) states in its rules and regulations that:

The Corporation has no obligation to pay or deliver a prize unless the winner gives the Corporation the right to publish the winner’s name, address, place of residence and recent photograph without any claim for broadcasting, printing, royalty or other rights.

Tweet This Click to share quote on Twitter: The Corporation has no obligation to pay or deliver a prize unless the winner gives the Corporation the right to publish the winner's name, address, place of residence and recent photograph without any claim for broadcasting, printing, royalty or other rights.

Laura Piva-Babcock, a spokesperson with the BCLC, said right now the corporation is still in the prize claim verification process. “That process takes as long as it takes until we’re satisfied we know who we’re paying this prize to,” she said.

She said she cannot speak to any specifics around this ticket, but added that they ask people to consent to have their name and image released to protect the integrity of the lottery. “People buy tickets, they want to know that people win and they want to know who won,” said Piva-Babcock. “So that is in our Rules and Regulations, which is on the back of our ticket and people can go to our website and see those rules.”

“There are some very very rare situations on a case-by-case basis, based on the facts of a situation, where a person may claim anonymity, but those are all considered on a case-by-case basis and it’s been a very rare thing for BCLC.”

In December, 2014, a woman filed a civil claim in B.C. Supreme Court, claiming her co-worker is hiding the ticket that was part of a workplace pool.

The winning numbers are 3, 4, 5, 7, 31, 33, 40, with a bonus of 49.

Should lottery winners be allowed to remain anonymous? Let us know in the comments.