'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
LIVE B.C. seeks ban on using drugs in 'all public spaces,' shifting approach to decriminalization
The B.C. government is moving to have drug use banned in 'all public spaces,' marking a major shift in the province's approach to decriminalization.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Air traveller complaints to Canadian Transportation Agency hit new high
The Canadian Transportation Agency has hit a record high of more than 71,000 complaints in a backlog. The quasi-judicial regulator and tribunal tasked with settling disputes between customers and the airlines says the backlog is growing because the number of incoming complaints keeps increasing.
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid says he has Bell's palsy
Philadelphia 76ers All-Star centre Joel Embiid has been diagnosed with Bell’s palsy, a form of facial paralysis he says has affected him since before the play-in tournament.
U.S. flight attendant indicted in attempt to record teen girl in airplane bathroom
An American Airlines flight attendant was indicted Thursday after authorities said he tried to secretly record video of a 14-year-old girl using an airplane bathroom last September.