News of a winning OLG ticket $70 million will expire tonight Has anyone ever played the lottery in Ontario checking their bags, rummaging through their couch cushions and looking everywhere in between.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission (OLG) confirmed to CTV News Toronto that if a winner doesn’t show up by 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, it will be the largest unclaimed ticket in Canadian history .
The ticket was purchased in Scarborough for June 28, 2022 Maximum Lottery draw and have a winning set of 8, 19, 22, 41, 42, 46, 47 Bonus 10, according to the results.
Besides, little is known about the mysterious ticket holder.
“I hope we don’t set a record, but you never know, time flies and there’s still a chance, but you never know,” OLG spokesman Tony Bitonti said today. Tuesday.
With so much money and the media exposure that comes with it, is it possible that the winner is out there but doesn’t want to be determined?
According to Bitonti, it has happened before.
“We have winners who wish to remain anonymous and we understand their concerns,” he said in a follow-up statement to CTV News Toronto.
in one mysterious post on Reddit four months ago, an unnamed woman wrote to the Ontario subreddit that she had won “a large amount of money a while ago.”
“I want to legally claim the prize without drawing goals on my back for the rest of my life,” wrote a Reddit user from an account that appears to have been abandoned since the post was made.
Although more than 540 comments responded to the post ranging from legal renaming suggestions to elaborate disguises, the rule surrounding the major prizes and their winners is clear: you must be identified. identity.
Bitonti explains: “At the very least, we need to take a picture of the winner to prove that someone has won the prize.
The OLG’s website shows that Crown Corporation publishes all wins of $1,000 or more and that “grand prizes” require a photo of the winner. For those larger jackpots, OLG will “usually” publish a press release “to prove to lottery players that someone has actually won,” Bitonti said.
“Remember, lottery purchases are made anonymously, so we need to prove the money is going to someone,” he said.
A clerk prints a customer’s Lotto Max ticket at a gas station north of Newcastle, Ontario on Thursday, October 6, 2022. CANADIAN REPORT / Doug Ives
The spokesperson said wigs, sunglasses or disguises are not allowed when taking pictures of winners, although masks are allowed.
But are there any cases where someone could anonymously claim a big winning ticket? Bitonti says yes, but the waivers have only been granted “a few” times.
“We also have regulations that people can remain anonymous… but there are criteria for that… ie. Spouse beaten, secret law enforcement or potential harm to the winner,” he said.
Bitonti adds that winners who wish to initiate the process anonymously will need to have an attorney contact OLG.
Outside of these measures, it is unlikely that the identity of the winning ticket holder will remain secret long after they have come forward to claim the prize.
OLG said that if the $70 million winning ticket is not claimed, the winnings will be returned to the player through future games or bonus promotions.
With files from Hannah Alberga
