Huge lottery win expires after no one comes forward in Canada

No one came forward to claim a huge lottery prize in Ontario and now it’s too late.

Last month, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation issued a press release advising the public that there were just a couple of weeks left to claim a major prize from the July 8, 2025 Lotto Max draw.

A ticket sold somewhere in Chatham won $100,000 after matching the last six of seven Encore numbers.

“Players have one year from the draw date to claim their prize,” the OLG said.

Despite the advisory, OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti told INsauga.com on Friday that the money has gone unclaimed.

READ MORE: Did anyone win the $26 million lottery jackpot in Canada?

“The ticket has expired and unfortunately no one came forward to claim it,” he said.

When lottery winnings go unclaimed, what happens with the money depends on the game, Bitonti said.

For national games like Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49, it goes back into the prize pool for future draws.

“For our regional games such as Lottario, Ontario 49, and Encore, any unclaimed prizes are returned to the province for the benefit of the people of Ontario,” Bitonti said.

“As this ticket was for an Encore prize from a Lotto Max draw, it is a regional game.”

Bitonti said that OLG pays out 99 per cent of prize money from tickets.

“It’s rare for major prizes ($10,000 or more) to be unclaimed, but it does happen,” he said.

“However most unclaimed prizes are for smaller amounts – free tickets, $2, $5, $10 – because customers forget to check or forget to cash in these winning tickets. Our advice is to please check your tickets right away after the draw. The easiest way is to check them on the OLG app or at one of our 10,000 retail locations across Ontario.”