By Basant El-Faramawy
A lottery winner in Canada has until Wednesday to claim a C$40 million (£21.4 million) jackpot before the ticket expires, according to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG).
Ticket purchased in Grey County
The winning Lotto Max ticket was sold a year ago at a retailer in Grey County, Ontario, a region that includes the Blue Mountains and Owen Sound and attracts many tourists. Officials suspect the buyer may have forgotten to check the ticket after returning home.
Winning numbers released
OLG has published the winning numbers for the draw: 06, 14, 17, 19, 26, 43, 45, with Bonus Number 27. The corporation urged players to check pockets, handbags, backpacks, wallets and vehicle glove compartments for the ticket.
Prize will fund future games if unclaimed
If the ticket is not presented by midnight, the C$40 million will be retained for future lottery prizes. OLG media relations coordinator Tony Bitonti said the organization has been waiting nearly a year for the winner to come forward.
History of unclaimed jackpots
This would not be the first major unclaimed prize in Ontario. In June 2022, a C$70 million Lotto Max jackpot went unclaimed in Scarborough despite 2,700 inquiries. Atlantic Lottery estimates about one percent of prizes go unclaimed, typically smaller amounts. Meanwhile, an Alberta resident recently won Canada's largest-ever lottery jackpot of C$90 million, though that winner has not yet been publicly identified.
