In June 2023, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation kicked off a province-wide search for the winner of an expiring Lotto Max jackpot amounting to CA$70,000,000. Unfortunately, the awareness efforts were in vain, as recently, the Crown declared that the mega jackpot has officially remained unclaimed. The prize will now go towards future draws of Lotto Max.
According to provincial lottery provisions, lottery tickets sold through an OLG-authorized lottery terminal, such as Lotto Max or Lotto 6/49, expire exactly one calendar year after the printed date on the ticket. Therefore, all tickets recording any kind of win must be validated prior to the expiry date in order for the holder to collect their respective prizemoney.
It's Official, Jackpot Goes to Future Prize Pools
OLG's awareness campaign came to an end, but there is still no winner for the meg prize worth CA$70,000,000. The Crown revealed that in its examination it reviewed close to 2,700 individual claims. But to no avail. Now, the CA$70 million jackpot from the Tuesday, June 28, 2022, Lotto Max draw has officially remained without an owner.
According to the Crown organization, the paper ticket was sold at a lottery retailer in Scarborough, but it was never validated at an OLG lottery terminal or shown to OLG on or before the deadline of 10:30 p.m. on June 28, 2023. In addition to that, the Crown said that the ticket was never checked at a self-serve ticket checker or via the official OLG App.
Previously, OLG's spokesperson Tony Bitonti shared that this case to the wire and he believes that it is quite concerning that a winner has not yet emerged. He added the Crown had tons of information about the ticket but not much on the winner, as the store did not have surveillance video. Now, the jackpot is the largest unclaimed prize in the province's history.
In order for players to avoid missing out on prizes, OLG urges them to sign their tickets, when purchasing at retail locations. Individuals are also advised to keep the ticket in safe and easy-to-remember locations until the time of the draw, then check the ticket when the numbers are out. Those who buy tickets online, get an automatic email from OLG if they have won.
Woman Gets in Legal Trouble over Lotto Max Prize
In another story from this week, the Ontario Provincial Police reported that a woman from North Bay will face criminal charges over a Lotto Max jackpot worth CA$70,000,000. OPP explained that the 33-year-old will face criminal charges for filing a fake claim at the OLG. However, it is not confirmed whether it is the same prize as the recently expired one.
OPP revealed that the woman will be now charged by the province with attempting fraud over CA$5,000, forgery and uttering a forged document. It was also reported that the woman has now been released from custody but she is not yet out of the woods as she is set to appear in court at a later date and hear her verdict from a judge.
Source: “$70 Million Lotto Max Prize from June 28, 2022 Draw Officially Declared Unclaimed” PR Newswire, August 10, 2023
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