This is what happens if the $1-million Lotto Max winner lets their prize expire

A winning Lotto Max ticket worth $1 million is just days away from expiring and if that happens the winner will forfeit the prize.

One lucky player, who bought the ticket in Toronto, won the Maxmillions prize in the June 15, 2021 Lotto Max draw, but the money was never claimed, the OLG said in a news release issued Wednesday.

The winning Maxmillions numbers for that draw were 01 – 18 – 22 – 31 – 32 – 40 – 43.

• Download our app to get local alerts to your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

The OLG said the winning ticket must match all seven numbers to win the Maxmillions prize.

What happens to the money if no one claims the prize?

The winner has one year from the draw date to claim their prize which means they have exactly two weeks from today to achieve millionaire status.

In an email to CTV News Toronto, the OLG External Communications Director Tony Bitonti said it's uncommon for a winning ticket this valuable to not be spoken for.

If the $1-million ticket holder does not show up before the two-week deadline, Bitonti said the unclaimed money will be returned to players through future bonus games or promotions.

"It is rare for $1 million prize to not be claimed, it’s usually the smaller prize amounts that go unclaimed," Bitonti said.

He said while there are a number of reasons a winning ticket doesn't get redeemed, it’s usually because it’s been misplaced or forgotten.

• READ MORE: 'One ticket is all it takes': OLG reveals winner of $60-million jackpot

“Many tickets are forgotten in kitchen drawers or in jacket pockets (especially when the seasons change). For example, you buy your ticket on a particularly cold spring day and put it in a jacket pocket, but then the weather turns warm and the jacket goes into the closet and the ticket is forgotten,” he said.