Edmonton Oilers fans win $254,000 in 50/50 raffle at playoff game
— -- Despite an overtime loss, two Edmonton Oilers fans left the team's first playoff game in more than a decade with smiles on their face.
David and Tanya Idzan went home from the Oilers' 3-2 loss to the San Jose Sharks with $254,640 ($336,995 Canadian).
The two fans, who have been season-ticket holders for seven seasons, won the 50/50 raffle in which 50 percent of the pot goes to a lucky fan that wins a drawing and 50 percent goes to the team's charity.
"We buy $40 worth of raffles every game," David Idzan told ESPN on Thursday, after he deposited the check at the bank. "We bought $80 last night."
The prize was one of the biggest 50/50 prizes in sports history, many of which have happened in Edmonton. In 2014, the Edmonton Eskimos of the CFL had a 50/50 prize with $322,216.
Wednesday night's prize started out at $76,000 because of a previously unclaimed prize and rose throughout the night.
"We tried to buy more, but the lines were so long and eventually they just shut it down," Idzan said.
He said several people at work offered Wednesday afternoon to split 50/50 tickets with him. Fortunately for him, he resisted.
Per Canadian law, 50/50 prize winnings are not taxed. The Oilers gave the Idzans their money in the form of a check right after they won.
"It was weird," Idzan said, "because we then had to go back to our seats for overtime."
Idzan and his wife said they aren't sure what they're going to do with the money.
"I was thinking about buying a DeLorean time machine," said Idzan, who works for Porsche.
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