A catch-the-ace lottery in Russell, Ont., has been running for 41 straight weeks without a grand prize winner, a remarkable run that’s seen the small Eastern Ontario town rally together virtually in anticipation of an exciting payout.
The Kin Club of Russell will hold its 42nd weekly draw in its ongoing catch-the-ace lottery on Sunday afternoon with an estimated grand prize jackpot of more than $269,000.
The popular progressive lottery, which is open to all Ontario residents, sees a ticket drawn at random from a tumbler to determine that week’s winner.
In addition to winning 20 per cent of that week’s ticket sales as an instant reward, the lucky player can then pick from a series of envelopes containing a dwindling deck of cards in hopes of finding the ace of spades. Doing so allows them to claim the grand jackpot, which accumulates from 30 per cent of ticket sales every week.
The remaining 50 per cent of proceeds are split between six charities partnering with the Kin Club.
Catch-the-ace lotteries are known for their excitement because as the weeks go by and cards are picked from the deck, the odds of pulling the ace grow in tandem with the size of the jackpot.
There are 11 cards left on the board in this Sunday’s draw.
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Doug Anthony, the Kin Club of Russell’s vice-president and founder, says the excitement in town has been bubbling every week that goes by without the ace being revealed.
The Kin Club’s catch-the-ace draw has always had a “loyal fanbase” that religiously bought tickets, but this past year has seen the lottery grow beyond its humble roots.
Anthony says the Kin Club was initially told they’d be lucky to get to draws of $50,000 on a successful fundraiser in a small town. But the current catch-the-ace has brought in more than $400,000 for the six partner charities and even single-week winners are walking away with $14,000 or more in recent draws.
Part of the success is owed to the provincial government’s move to open 50-50 draws and other lotteries to online participation in recent years, provided each draw is regulated by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and has a charitable component.
That means the Kin Club’s draw has been able to not just sell traditional paper tickets in local stores, but also sell lots online, drawing in ace-catching hopefuls from 350 communities across the province.
Five weeks ago, the Kin Club was selling roughly 6,500 tickets online. In recent weeks, it’s passed the 12,000-ticket mark.
“It’s getting really crazy. We’ve marketed the hell out of it,” Anthony says. “We’re really reaping the benefits.”
While the Kin Club would usually pack the Étienne Brûlé Brewery on Sunday afternoons for the draws, it’s since had to adapt with a limited crowd in line with COVID-19 precautions. But draws are broadcast on Facebook and winners are called live on the stream, capturing some of the pre-pandemic magic of the lottery.
Russell Mayor Pierre Leroux says the catch-the-ace excitement has been a boon for the town during the novel coronavirus pandemic.
“As a family, every Sunday at 3:15 p.m., we’ve got it up, watching live to see what’s happening,” he says. “I know from people that I’ve spoken with that we’re not the only family doing that.”
Though the Ontario government made the decision to open up traditional charity lotteries to online buy-ins before the pandemic set in, Leroux says it’s been great for residents to connect amid restrictions on gatherings in Russell, which currently sits in the province’s orange zone.
“The ability to find common ground and excitement is always something that you want during the pandemic,” he says. “We’re in a virtual world now. It makes things much easier.”
Tickets for the upcoming draw, done live at 3:15 p.m. on Sunday, are available online to anyone aged 18 and older in Ontario until midnight on Saturday.
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