Can you claim a winning lottery ticket in Ontario anonymously?

News that a winning OLG ticket worth $70 million will expire tonight has anyone who has ever played the lottery in Ontario checking their pockets, digging through their couch cushions, and searching everywhere in between.

If a winner does not come forward by 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, it will be the biggest unclaimed ticket in Canadian history, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG) confirmed to CTV News Toronto.

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The ticket itself was purchased in Scarborough for the June 28, 2022 Lotto Max draw and had the winning numbers 8, 19, 22, 41, 42, 46, 47 Bonus 10, according to the OLG.

Aside from that, little is known about the mystery ticket holder.

“I'm hoping that we do not make the record books, but you never know, time is quickly ticking away, and there's still a chance, but you never know,” OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti said Tuesday.

With so much money on the line, and the media exposure that comes with it, is it possible that the winner is out there but doesn’t want to be identified?

According to Bitonti, it’s happened before.

“We have winners that want to remain anonymous and we understand their concern,” he said in a follow-up statement to CTV News Toronto.

• FULL STORY: Lotto Max ticket worth $70M is just hours away from expiring

In a mysterious post to Reddit four months ago, an unidentified woman wrote to the Ontario subreddit she had won a “huge amount some time ago.”

“I want to legally claim the prize without painting a target on my back for the rest of my life,” the Reddit user wrote from an account that appears to have been all but abandoned since the post was made.

Although the more than 540 comments in response to the post vary from recommending legally changing your name to wearing an elaborate disguise, the rule surrounding big prizes and the person wins them are clear: you must be identified.

“At minimum, we need to take a picture of the winner to prove that someone won a prize,” Bitonti explained.

The OLG’s website shows that the Crown corporation publishes all wins of $1,000 or more and that “major prizes” require a photo of the winner. For those bigger jackpots, Bitonti said, the OLG will “usually” publish a news release “to prove to the lottery players that someone actually won the prize.”

“Remember, lottery purchases are made anonymously, so we need to show the money is going to someone,” he said.

A clerk hands prints off a customer's Lotto Max ticket at a gas station north of Newcastle, Ontario on Thursday Oct. 6, 2022. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Doug Ives

The spokesperson said no wigs, sunglasses, or disguises are allowed when a winner’s photo is taken, although face masks are permitted.

But are there any circumstances in which someone can claim a big winning ticket anonymously? Bitonti said there are, but that the exemption has only been granted “a few” times.

“We also do have provisions that people can remain anonymous … but there is criteria for that ... ie. Battered spouse, undercover law enforcement or potential for harm to come to a winner,” he said.

Winners who want to initiate the anonymity process will need to have a lawyer contact the OLG, Bitonti added.

Beyond these measures, it’s unlikely that a winning ticket holder’s identity would remain a secret for long after they come forward to claim their prize.

If the $70-million winning ticket does not get claimed, the prize money will be returned to players through future bonus games or promotions, the OLG said.

With files from Hannah Alberga