UPDATE: For the latest on this story, click here.
The winner of the Edmonton Oilers organization’s 50/50 draw for Game 2 of the team’s NHL qualifying round series against the Chicago Blackhawks will be a millionaire.
The hockey club obliterated its previous 50/50 draw sales record on Monday night, reaching over $2 million in sales before the game had even started.
“One lucky #Oilers fan is becoming a millionaire tonight & the game hasn’t even started yet!” the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation tweeted just before 8 p.m.
“Ticket sales will run until 10:30pm MT.”
By 9:23 p.m., that total had grown to nearly $2.8 million.
As of 9:56 p.m., the jackpot had increased in size to over $3 million.
The winner takes home half the total of the draw’s sales, while the remainder goes to support the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation.
With its half of the jackpot, the EOCF supports registered charitable organizations in Alberta.
The Oilers’ previous 50/50 jackpot record was set during Game 1 against the Blackhawks on Saturday where the final estimated pot swelled to about $760,000.
READ MORE: Massive response to Edmonton Oilers online 50/50 raffle leads to website issues
With the return of NHL hockey amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, fans are no longer attending games as players compete in the league’s hub cities of Edmonton and Toronto. Since play resumed, the Oilers have moved their 50/50 ticket raffle online which has led to skyrocketing interest.
However, the surge in sales has also led to server issues and some 50/50 ticket buyers experiencing delays and other issues dues to the sheer volume of orders, according to the Oilers Entertainment Group.
An OEG executive told Global News over the weekend that anyone who has a charge show up on their credit card from an order that did not go through should note that it is a pre-authorized charge only and that it will be removed within 48 hours.
On Saturday, the EOCF stopped 50/50 ticket sales early because the server was unable to accommodate the massive interest in the online offering.
–With files from Global News’ Allison Bench
Watch below: Some Global News videos about 50/50 draws.