Lotto Max fever at a high as OLG still looking for $70M winner

OLG looking for Lotto Max ticket winners OLG is still trying to track down the winner of a $1 million Lotto Max winner in Larder Lake and a $70 million winner in Scarborough.

Lotto Max fever is hotter than the early summer temperatures, as people are stepping forward to try and claim a $70 million win that expired Friday.

We asked people in North Bay how they would react to such a massive lottery windfall.

“The first thing I would do is probably pass out,” chuckled one woman purchasing a ticket at the Northgate Shopping Centre in North Bay.

“I'd be extremely happy. I'd look for special places to make donations,” said one man.

While there are a number of reasons a winning ticket doesn't get redeemed, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming (OLG) Corporate said it’s usually because it’s been misplaced or forgotten.

“So if no one comes forward, the money goes back into the pot,” said OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti on CP24.

It would be the largest lottery prize in Canadian history to go unclaimed if it isn't found by the deadline.

“The clock is ticking and we really want someone to come forward because that money is theirs,” said Bitonti.

“They put down $5 or $10 to get a chance at winning a big lottery prize.”

Meanwhile, here in northeastern Ontario, a Co-Op store in Larder Lake is trying to track down the winner of a $1 million ticket purchased on June 2, 2022. It’s set to expire on June 7 and has sent the small community into lottery fever.

“It did create a lot of excitement and buzz,” said Larder Lake Co-Op manager Rene Richard.

“We’ve had a lot of foot traffic come in through the doors and our locals will come in and inquire if anybody has come through and collected it.”

According to the OLG, about one per cent of winnings are unclaimed each year out of roughly $2.6 billion in prizes every year.