Hundreds of people claim they may have lost winning ticket for expiring $70M Lotto Max prize
Hundreds of people have come forward to claim they could be the winner of the expiring $70 million Lotto Max prize.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) told CTV News Toronto they are now in the process of vetting more than 760 calls from the public ahead of the June 28 expiry date.
This would be the largest lottery prize in Canadian history to go unclaimed if the winner from the June 28, 2022 draw isn't found by the deadline.
"When people call in claiming they have lost their ticket, an OLG employee will ask a few questions to determine if the person is on the right track," OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti said Friday. "If not, they are not part of the process. But if they can answer some questions that lead us to believe they may be the owner of the ticket then they go into the queue for further review."
The ticket was purchased at a retailer in Scarborough, though the OLG is not naming the store in order to protect their validation process.
Bitonti said while people have come forward to the OLG, there still has been no activity on the ticket since it was purchased last June.
“We have not had anyone check this ticket on their app, or at the self check,” Bitonti said.
Bitonti said there are a number of possibilities about what could have happened to this ticket, but it’s impossible to know until a winner comes forward.
"It could be they lost the ticket and don't know. They could have checked the ticket manually and do know, but haven’t come forward yet," Bitonti said. "Worst case scenario, they passed away and their executor doesn’t know this ticket exists."
The winning numbers for the Lotto Max draw are 8, 19, 22, 41, 42, 46, 47 Bonus 1.
WHAT HAPPENS IF NO ONE COMES FORWARD?
The winner has one year from the draw date to claim their prize, which is now roughly three weeks away.
If the $70-million ticket holder does not show up before the deadline, the unclaimed money will be returned to players through future bonus games or promotions.
While there are a number of reasons a winning ticket doesn't get redeemed, the OLG said it’s usually because it’s been misplaced or forgotten.
According to Bitonti, about one per cent of winnings goes unclaimed each year.
Meanwhile, the Friday (June 2) Lotto Max draw has also reached $70M. It's been months since the jackpot has reached this high.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.