A $40 million Lotto Max ticket sold in Ontario has been validated just hours before it was set to expire.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) said Wednesday the ticket was validated just before its midnight deadline, and the ticket registered as the $40 million winner from the Oct. 28, 2025, Lotto Max draw.
But the identity of the winner who purchased the ticket in Grey County, Ont., remains unknown, and OLG says the prize cannot yet be awarded.
Tony Bitonti, OLG’s director of media relations, said the lottery corporation has contacted the person or people who validated the ticket and will now meet with them to determine whether they are the rightful owner or owners.
Bitonti said the corporation has detailed information about the winning ticket, but because it was purchased at a retailer, it does not know the identity of the person or group who originally bought it.
As with all OLG prize claims of more than $1,000, a review will be conducted to determine rightful ownership. Details about the ticket are being kept confidential because the information will be used to determine whether the person or people who validated it are the owners.
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The ticket was purchased at an authorized lottery retailer somewhere in Grey County for the Oct. 28, 2025, draw.
Grey County includes communities such as Owen Sound, Meaford, The Blue Mountains, Flesherton, Markdale, Durham and Hanover.
Ahead of Wednesday’s deadline, OLG urged anyone who bought a Lotto Max ticket in Grey County, or who visited the area around the time of the draw, to check their tickets.
The winning numbers were 06, 14, 17, 19, 26, 43 and 45, with bonus number 27. OLG had said approximately 50 claims related to the ticket were being processed before Wednesday’s deadline.
If OLG determines the rightful ownership of the ticket, it said it will hold a winner celebration and disclose the winner’s story to the media and public.