Lotto Max ticket worth $70M is just hours away from expiring

A life-changing lottery ticket is about to expire if it goes unclaimed by tonight.

The $70-million Lotto Max ticket was bought in Scarborough almost a year ago. On Wednesday night, when it hits the one-year mark, it will expire.

According to the rules, players have one year from the draw date to claim their winnings, or the prize expires.

Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission spokesperson Tony Bitonti said this will be the biggest unclaimed ticket in Canadian history.

“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,” Bitonti told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday.

The clock will hit the final buzzer at 10:30 p.m. Wednesday night, he added.

A staggering 1,800 people have come forward attempting to claim the prize. Of those, 800 have claimed to have a lost ticket. But so far, none have been the rightful owner.

Details about the ticket holder are sparse, but Bitonti said one fact they do know is that the ticket has never been checked, leading him to believe that it was left in the pocket of a pair of jeans or it was mistakenly thrown out.

“That's what makes it very unusual,” Bitonti said. “Again, this is pure, pure hypothetical at this point because somebody could just come in and validate that ticket tomorrow.”