'Mind-blowing' $128 million up for grabs in rare Lotto Max draw
Canada's biggest lottery draw in history is up for grabs on Tuesday with $128 million ready to be handed out.
"This is rare," OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti said on Monday. "I don't recall such a run in my recent memory."
Tuesday night’s Lotto Max jackpot will be $70 million, with another 58 Maxmillion prizes on the line.
No one has won the jackpot since April 24, meaning the prize has snowballed for seven weeks.
"We started rolling on April 27 draw," Bitonti said. "The April 24 draw, that was $10 million, and was won by two tickets in Ontario."
Lotto Max draws happen twice per week and players must match all seven numbers to win the jackpot or Maxmillion prizes.
Tickets start at $5 per play and the draw happens on Tuesday night.
The last $70 million dollar winner was a couple from Noelville, Ont. in February.
"I've awarded many 70 million prizes," Bitonti said. "It's always life-changing for these folks."
"People show me their bank statement and sometimes they have a couple hundred bucks. It's mind-blowing at that point when they show me their phones and I see it go from something like $1,000 to $70 million."
WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU WIN?
According to the OLG, the odds of winning the $70 million payout with a single play is 1 in 33.2 million.
lf you defy the odds and find yourself with one of Tuesday's winning tickets, Bitonti recommends immediately signing the back of it and then contacting OLG.
He said many people take a few weeks before claiming their prize so they can get their affairs in order.
"When we award them the prize they are still in a state of shock," Bitonti said. "They may have some ideas of what they want to do and it may include buying a new car, house, some travelling. But then we always ask the question, what are you going to do with the other $69 million?"
"Their lives change overnight."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
7 surveillance videos linked to extortions of South Asian home builders in Edmonton released
The Edmonton Police Service has released a number of surveillance videos related to a series of extortion cases in the city now dubbed 'Project Gaslight.'
Ukraine uses long-range missiles secretly provided by U.S. to hit Russian-held areas, officials say
Ukraine for the first time has begun using long-range ballistic missiles provided secretly by the United States, bombing a Russian military airfield in Crimea last week and Russian forces in another occupied area overnight, American officials said Wednesday.
Pilot reported fire onboard plane carrying fuel, attempted to return to Fairbanks just before crash
One of the two pilots aboard an airplane carrying fuel reported there was a fire on the airplane shortly before it crashed and burned outside Fairbanks, killing both people on board, a federal aviation official said Wednesday.
BREAKING Manitoba government tables bill to end ban on homegrown recreational cannabis
Manitoba is planning to lift its ban on the home growing of recreational cannabis.
All Alberta wildfires to date in 2024 believed to be human-caused: province
There are 63 wildfires burning in Alberta's forest protection area as of Wednesday morning and seven mutual aid fires, including one in the Municipal District of Peace.