With tens of millions of dollars on the line, lottery hopefuls across Waterloo Region flooded local convenience stores Tuesday evening, scrambling to buy tickets before the cutoff for the largest jackpot in Canadian history. The Lotto Max prize pool reached an unprecedented $85 million after there was no wining ticket for Friday’s draw. At a Quickie convenience store in Cambridge, Ont., shoppers showed up near the end of the workday, eager for a shot at life-changing wealth. Among them was Fitzroy Card, who couldn’t help daydreaming about what he would do with the money. “I want to win,” Card said. “I have so many families and friends who I could share this money with.” Card said that adding a few extra plays alongside ENCORE is a small price to pay for a chance at history. “I can find a few $19, but I can’t find 85 million at all,” Card laughed. According to Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) spokesperson Tony Bitonti, the sheer size of the prize has many people excited. “If you don’t buy a ticket, you don’t have that opportunity to win,” Bitonti said. In addition to the main $85-million jackpot, Tuesday night’s draw features many other prizes, including approximately 16 Maxmillions prizes worth $1 million each and 85 new Max Plus prizes valued at $100,000 each. For regular players like Paul Degen, buying a ticket is part of a routine that he’s kept up for decades. “Since I was legally able to buy tickets,” Degen said, adding that he made a point to drop by this week just in case luck was on his side. “It would be great. [I could] pay off a lot of debt.” Whether players selected their own lucky numbers or opted for a Quick Pick play – there’s many ways to take part in the game. “Continue playing until somebody wins,” Card said. “If not me, then someone else. But I’d rather it be me.” If a winning ticket isn’t sold for Tuesday’s main draw, the jackpot will reach $90 million for Friday’s draw. OLG officials are also urging players to check their tickets promptly following the draw to prevent prizes from going unclaimed. A winning ticket worth $40 million sold in Grey County last October remains unclaimed and is set to expire Oct. 28 if the ticket holder does not come forward. Ticket sales for Tuesday night’s record draw close at 10:30 p.m. EST.
