Ontario Lottery Warns C$40 Million Unclaimed Ticket Will Expire Wednesday for Grey County Winner

An unclaimed Lotto Max ticket worth C$40 million (£21.39 million) will expire on Wednesday, 28 October 2026, unless its rightful holder comes forward.

The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) is urging players to check tickets bought in Grey County for the 28 October 2025 draw. The deadline falls exactly one year after the winning numbers were drawn.

CTV News reported that, without a claimant, the prize would return to the Lotto Max pool after Wednesday's deadline. OLG says the money would reach players through future bonus games or promotions.

Check These Numbers Before the Deadline

The winning combination is 06, 14, 17, 19, 26, 43 and 45, with 27 as the bonus number. These numbers relate specifically to the October 2025 draw, rather than a recent Lotto Max jackpot.

Anyone who believes they purchased the winning ticket should submit their information through OLG's Unclaimed Tickets page or telephone 1-800-387-0098 to begin the claim process.

OLG says it holds detailed information about the ticket, which was sold by an authorised retailer, but it does not know the identity of the individual or group that bought it.

The corporation will review any claim to establish rightful ownership. Its appeal therefore extends to both individual players and anyone who may have bought a ticket as part of a group.

The Winner May Have Been Visiting Grey County

The search is not confined to people who live in the county. OLG has highlighted the possibility that a tourist or cottage visitor bought the ticket during a trip and forgot to check it after returning home.

Grey County forms part of the Georgian Triangle. Its communities include Owen Sound, Meaford, The Blue Mountains, Flesherton, Markdale, Durham and Hanover.

The purchase location identifies where the ticket was sold, rather than where its owner lives. OLG's warning also covers day-trippers and others who passed through the area around the time of the draw.

Pockets, Travel Bags and Glove Compartments

OLG is asking players to search the places where they normally leave lottery tickets, including clothing pockets, wallets, handbags, backpacks and computer bags.

Other suggested locations include vehicle glove compartments and sun visors, alongside drawers in kitchens, bedrooms and offices. For visitors, the claim appeal includes tickets brought home among belongings after a Grey County trip.

Tickets can be checked using the OLG app, an in-store self-checker or a lottery terminal at an authorised retailer. The corporation's Unclaimed Tickets page also provides information about this prize and other outstanding tickets.

Alberta Jackpot Sets a New Canadian Record

The deadline comes shortly after a ticket sold in Alberta won the 20 October 2026 Lotto Max jackpot, the largest lottery prize offered in Canada.

IBTimes UK, citing CityNews and OLG, reported the win. The C$90 million prize (£48.13 million) is 2.25 times the Grey County jackpot. No ticket had matched all seven main numbers in the preceding 16 October draw.

The prize exceeded the previous advertised record of C$85 million (£45.46 million). Before the Alberta draw, the largest claimed Lotto Max jackpot was C$80 million (£42.77 million), shared by longtime friends from London, Ontario.

The Alberta result concerns a newly identified winning ticket. The Grey County appeal concerns an older ticket whose rightful owner has yet to come forward before its expiry.