Ontario lottery winner: where are you?

By Kate Northrop

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is urging a mystery lottery winner to come forward before a $40 million (US$28 million) Lotto Max jackpot slips away at the end of the month.

Someone in Ontario is sitting on a $40 million winning Lotto Max ticket and may not even know it, with the deadline to claim the life-changing prize now just three weeks away.

On Monday, OLG issued a public reminder that the jackpot-winning ticket from the Tuesday, October 28, 2025 Lotto Max draw has yet to be claimed. Lottery players in Ontario have exactly one year from the draw date to claim their prizes, meaning the ticket will officially expire on October 28, 2026 if the rightful holder does not come forward in time.

OLG spokesperson Tony Bitonti told Daily Hive that lottery players who try to claim their prize after the deadline will need "a really good reason" to still receive the winnings.

"It's a case-by-case basis, and we determine if they're the rightful owners of the tickets," Bitonti said.

The winning numbers from the October 28, 2025 Lotto Max draw are 6, 14, 17, 19, 26, 43, and 45, with Bonus Number 27.

While OLG "has very detailed information about this winning ticket," they said in a press release, they are only confirming that the winning ticket was purchased at a lottery retailer in Grey County, Ontario. The area is part of the Georgian Triangle and includes communities such as Owen Sound, Meaford, The Blue Mountains, Flesherton, Markdale, Durham, and Hanover.

"Because the ticket was purchased at a lottery retailer, we don't know the identity of the person or group that purchased it," OLG explained. "As with all OLG prize claims, a review process is conducted to determine the rightful ownership of the ticket."

 Grey County is a popular destination for tourists and cottagers, the Lottery supposed; therefore the winner may very well be someone visiting the area who purchased the ticket and forgot to check it upon their return home.

The Lottery is urging players to check places where they may typically store tickets, such as clothing pockets, handbags, backpacks, wallets, laptop bags, vehicle glove compartments, sun visors, or in kitchen, bedroom, or office drawers.

If the winner finds their ticket or plans to come forward within the next few weeks, the Lottery advises the mystery winner to either fill out a form on the official OLG website for unclaimed tickets or contact them by phone to start the claim.

If the $40 million jackpot expires, it will be returned to players through future bonus games or promotions, the Lottery said.

The Lotto Max jackpot currently stands at $75 million (US$52.6 million) for the next drawing on Tuesday, Oct. 6. Lotto Max drawings take place every Tuesday and Friday at 10:30 p.m. Eastern Time.

All winning numbers, prizes, and odds are published on Lottery Post's Multi-Province Lottery Results page right after each drawing.