Full Breakdown
Ontario Lotto Max Jackpot Ticket Faces Expiration
By Drooid · · How we work
In this breakdown
01
Core Event
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) announced that a Lotto Max jackpot ticket worth C$40 million (£21.4 million) will expire at midnight on October 28, 2025 unless the holder comes forward. The ticket, purchased at a retailer in Grey County, Ontario, a year ago, matches the winning numbers 06, 14, 17, 19, 26, 43, 45 with Bonus 27. OLG warned that if the ticket is not claimed, the prize will be retained for future games.
02
Background & Context
Grey County, which includes the Blue Mountains and Owen Sound, is a popular tourist destination, raising the possibility that a visitor bought the ticket and later forgot it. OLG noted that the ticket was never checked on the OLG app or at the point-of-sale. Unclaimed prizes are not unusual: on June 28, 2022, a $70 million Lotto Max draw in Scarborough, Ontario, also went unclaimed. Atlantic Lottery, another government-owned lottery operator, estimates that roughly one per cent of prizes go unclaimed, typically smaller amounts.
03
Official Statements & Responses
Tony Bitonti, media relations coordinator for OLG, told CTV News that the organization has been waiting “almost a year” for the ticket to be presented. OLG advised the public to search common storage spots—clothing pockets, handbags, backpacks, wallets, and vehicle glove compartments—to locate the ticket. The corporation emphasized that the unclaimed prize would be absorbed into future draws, rather than being awarded to a new winner.
04
Verbatim Quote
“We've been waiting, almost a year. It's going to be a year in a little less than 24 hours,” — Tony Bitonti
05
What Happens If Unclaimed
Should the ticket remain unclaimed after the midnight deadline, OLG will retain the C$40 million prize and allocate it to subsequent Lotto Max games, continuing the practice of rolling unclaimed funds into future draws.