Province wants to put accountant in charge of ‘Chase the Ace’

The rules around ‘Chase the Ace’ are about to get a little stricter.

The phenomenon has become popular right across the maritimes and is now one of the biggest fundraising games for charities in Nova Scotia.

READ MORE: Cole Harbour church hopes to cash in on Chase the Ace popularity

Last week, two identical ticket numbers were drawn in Sydney, N.S., after duplicate tickets were sold. Organizers of the event decided to give both ticket holders the same amount of winnings, but it has garnered the attention of the provincial government.

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Nova Scotia Business Minister Mark Furey tells Global News he wants to have a Chartered Professional Accountant oversee the ‘Chase the Ace’ games.

“The effort right now is to ensure the lottery continues and it maintains its integrity and those who purchase the tickets have confidence in the lottery itself and the charitable organizations involved,” said Furey.

READ MORE: Nova Scotia woman wins $1.7M jackpot in Chase-the-Ace craze

In the case of the Sydney game, organizers announced earlier this week that they were postponing this weekend’s event to give them time to consider extra sales locations, increased security and to manage logistics.

When the draw resumes on March 26, there are just 9 cards remaining and the jackpot is expected to top $1.3 million dollars.

In October, Donelda MacAskill, 62, won $1.7 million dollars on ‘Chase the Ace’ in Inverness, after the ace of spaces lasted nearly a year before it was chosen from just three cards.