Someone just east of Ottawa is now $55-million richer. The winning ticket in OLG’s Lotto Max draw on Friday, Jan. 9 was sold in the United Counties of Prescott and Russell, according to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG), but no one has come forward to claim it yet. “The one piece of information that we don’t have is who actually bought that ticket,” said Tony Bitonti, a spokesperson for OLG. Bitonti says OLG knows exactly where the winning ticket was sold but is not revealing the precise location to protect the prize money until it is rightfully claimed. “That’s why we have to ask the people coming forward a series of questions,” he explained. “Where did you buy the ticket? When did you buy the ticket? And a number of other questions that we use in the prize claim process to ensure that we are paying the rightful ticket owner that $55-million prize.” On Monday morning, many in the community of Rockland were happy that the prize was won by someone in the area, even if it wasn’t them. “That’s a good thing,” said Mario Meloche, owner of Rockland Marine and Equipment, “because usually, and hopefully, they have a family. So, they’ll start spreading their millions of dollars through the family, and then there’s more than one millionaire, so they can spend in our area, in Prescott-Russell.” “That’s a something positive for the community,” added Jay Chami, manager at the Rockland Canadian Tire gas bar. “They say, oh okay, it’s from here, then we’ll try (to win) more.” The win follows a 2022 Lotto Max win by a grandmother from Vankleek Hill, who won a $60-million jackpot. Despite there being many opportunities to purchase tickets at retail outlets or online, Chami is hoping the winning ticket was bought at his store. “The franchisee gets something. I don’t know exactly how much, but they give them a lump sum,” he said. OLG says tickets can be checked through the OLG app or by visiting a lottery retailer. The lottery corporation is reminding customers that tickets expire after 12 months.
