What we know about the $40M lottery ticket validated hours before expiry in Ontario - National Post
The winning ticket was originally purchased at a lottery retailer in Grey County, Ont., and the jackpot remained unclaimed for a whole year – until now. Photo by selensergen /Getty Images/iStockphotoArticle contentMere hours before a $40 million Lotto Max jackpot was set to expire, the winning ticket was validated at a lottery terminal, according to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).
In a news release on Wednesday, OLG said the winning ticket for the Oct. 28, 2025 draw was “set to expire at midnight” if no one came to collect their prize.
Here’s what to know about the ticket and what would have happened if nobody came forward to claim it.
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The winning ticket was originally purchased at a lottery retailer in Grey County, Ont., and the jackpot remained unclaimed for a whole year – until now.
“I am gobsmacked,” said Tony Bitonti, director of media relations at OLG.
Bitonti said the OLG typically isn’t concerned when a major jackpot goes unclaimed for the first few months, because winners often need time to process the news and consult financial advisers.
However, when the owner of the ticket failed to come forward after several months, the OLG launched an awareness campaign for the person with the winning ticket to come forward.
If the deadline for the prize were to have passed with no one claiming it, the $40 million prize would have been declared void and returned to players through future Lotto Max bonus games or promotions.
In an Oct. 5 news release, the OLG encouraged anyone who believed they may have won to “check places where they typically store their tickets,” such as their pockets, drawers, glove compartments and backpacks.
