Hundreds of people have contacted the Ontario Lottery Gaming Corporation (OLG) to claim they might be the owner of a $70-million Lotto Max prize set to expire later this month.
The OLG has encouraged people to check their tickets for the June 28, 2022 draw, noting the ticket that won the jackpot was sold in Toronto’s Scarborough area.
According to the OLG, the $70-million winning ticket has yet to be claimed and will expire on June 28, 2023, unless the rightful ticket holder comes forward.
In an interview with Global News on Friday, OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti said since May 23, the OLG has received 760 calls about the ticket.
“That includes general inquiries about the ticket,” he said. “And then people who say that they’ve lost their tickets.”
Bitonti said if people claim they have lost their ticket, the OLG will investigate further and ask some followup questions.
“If they have at least a couple of right answers, then they will continue on for further review,” he said. “If they don’t, then they’re out of the system.”
Bitonti said so far no one has been declared the winner.
- Ontario hospital workers awarded 6% pay increase, new agreement on agency nurses
- S&P/TSX composite closes up nearly 100 points, U.S. stock markets mixed
- Pedestrian in life-threatening condition after being hit by vehicle in Mississauga
- Judge at trial of man accused of killing cop was concerned over Crown changing theory
In a previous interview with Global News, Bitonti said if the winner doesn’t come forward soon, it will become the largest unclaimed prize in Canadian lottery history, surpassing a $15-million Lotto Max win from an August 2021 draw that was never claimed.
According to Bitonti, there has been no activity on the ticket since it was purchased.
“That was the last time it registered in our system,” he said. “And we know from past winners, past big winners, that sometimes they’ll take a couple of months to come forward. They want to talk to their financial advisors to get their affairs in order.”
Usually, Bitonti said winners will scan the ticket on the app or check it at a self-check counter because they can’t believe they’ve won.
If the prize is not claimed by the deadline, Bitonti said the money will go back into the Lotto Max for future prizing, future promotions and jackpots.
“Lotto Max is a national game,” he said. “So it’s played across the country.”
Bitonti said the OLG is trying to find the winner because someone spent money to try to win the jackpot.
“It is somebody’s money. It’s not our money, somebody won this money,” he said. “We want to pay the rightful owner of this ticket, whether you have the ticket in hand, or you don’t have the ticket, if it’s lost.”
The OLG said the winning numbers for the June 28, 2022 Lotto Max draw are 8, 19, 22, 41, 42, 46, 47 Bonus 10.
If someone believes they bought the winning ticket, they were encouraged to contact the OLG at 1-800-387-0098.
— with files from Global News’ Ryan Rocca
Comments