Across the country, some Canadian lottery players have won and missed the deadline to claim their prizes.
Imagine not knowing that you’ve just won a life-changing amount of money. While it’s rare, some lottery players who’ve won massive prizes have missed the deadline, leaving huge amounts of cash unclaimed.
Winners have exactly one year from the draw date to claim their winnings, and if someone hasn’t claimed their prize close to the deadline, lottery corporations put out announcements as a reminder. Although lottery corporations do what they can to track winners, it’s not always possible, resulting in uncollected money going back into the prize pool.
So what happens if the winner comes forward after the deadline?
In an interview with Daily Hive, Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) Spokesperson Tony Bitonti said, “They’d have to have a really good reason (to claim tickets) past a year. It’s a case-by-case basis, and we determine if they’re the rightful owners of the tickets.”
His advice: sign your lottery ticket immediately after the draw. Or better yet, buy it online.
Here’s a look at the biggest prizes that remain unclaimed by region.
New Brunswick — $262,326.60
@atlanticlottery/Instagram
The largest outstanding prize from Atlantic Lottery has yet to be claimed.
The second prize in the Lotto Max draw on November 19, 2024, was won by someone in New Brunswick. The ticket was sold in Miramichi, and the winner has until next year to claim the prize.
An Atlantic Lottery representative said that almost 99 percent of all prizes are paid to players.
“While they don’t all get claimed quickly, nearly all big prizes do get claimed,” she stated.
One New Brunswick lottery player almost missed his chance to claim his $64 million Lotto 6/49 prize. Merel Chiasson of Bas-Caraquet, New Brunswick, walked into the Atlantic Lottery head office with the ticket to claim his winnings 347 days after the draw. He said the ticket had been on his bedroom dresser for almost a year.
Alberta — $14.9 million
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
Someone in Alberta won and missed out on millions.
According to the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC), which oversees Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut, someone in Alberta purchased a Lotto 6/49 ticket and won $14.9 million in the June 7, 2006 draw after splitting the jackpot with a winner from Western Canada.
“The ticket was purchased somewhere in Alberta outside of Calgary and Edmonton,” stated a WCLC representative. “Since then, we have not had a win anywhere close to that amount expire. In fact, I don’t believe we’ve had anything over $1 million expire since the June 2006 expiry.”
British Columbia — $15 million
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
On Friday, August 13, 2021, someone in Canada won a multimillion prize.
After they matched the winning numbers 01, 14, 17, 20, 28, 32, and 38, the lottery player won the $15 million Lotto Max jackpot. Despite their good fortune, it looks like they didn’t even know they won because the prize remains the second-largest unclaimed prize in Canada.
A British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) representative stated, “A $15 million Lotto Max ticket purchased in Vancouver in 2021 was never claimed. The ticket expired after August 13, 2022.”
Ontario — $70 million
Irish Mae Silvestre/Daily Hive
If you thought a $15 million prize going unclaimed was awful luck, someone in Ontario has it far worse.
During a Lotto Max draw on June 28, 2022, someone from Ontario won the $70 million jackpot. However, the deadline to claim it has passed, making it the largest unclaimed prize in Canada.
Bitonti stated, “In Canada and also in Ontario, the largest unclaimed prize is the $70 million Lotto Max prize from the June 28, 2022 draw. The ticket was sold in Scarborough.”
He added, “It’s rare for major prizes ($10,000 or more) to be unclaimed, but it does happen. Most unclaimed prizes are for small amounts.”
Currently, the deadline is approaching to claim a Lotto Max prize.
According to OLG, someone won the Lotto Max second prize worth $184,386.60 in the January 9, 2024 draw. The ticket was sold in Etobicoke.
All forms of gambling, including the lottery, involve risk and outcomes are based on chance. Individuals are strongly advised to gamble responsibly. If you are experiencing any signs of gambling-related issues, you can find resources here.