Loto-Québec has been looking for a lottery winner for more than a year to no avail – someone eligible for a lottery windfall failed to collect their prize in a timely manner and a CA$1,000,000 prize was lost forever for them. The Quebec MAX ticket in question became eligible for the cash payout on July 5, 2019.
There are many reasons why an individual could refrain from collecting their lottery prize once they have become eligible for it. They might have misplaced their ticket, or simply forgotten about purchasing it in the first place. There are thousands of similar stories of players missing the deadline for claiming their prize because something was in their way.
Quebec MAX
Life often gets in the way of things and a person eligible for a grand windfall could become unable to collect their prize in a timely manner. Such was the case with an individual hailing from Quebec, who had the opportunity to become richer but failed at making all the steps to it. The Crown corporation overseeing gambling and lottery offerings was looking for the player.
That search was in progress ever since the summer of 2019, when the Quebec MAX ticket became eligible for the cash prize of CA$1,000,000. It managed to match the numbers drawn during that regular draw for the province. Those special numbers were 2, 9, 10, 16, 25, 29, and 49 and they might even have a special significance to the winner, as it often happens with lottery ticket combinations. As it turned out, the world will never know for sure.
Whoever is in possession of the winning ticket usually has a total of 52 weeks to claim their prize, but the year 2020 was like no other. The unprecedented situation managed to impact the gambling scene on a national scale, as well as lottery gaming. Loto-Québec made it clear last year that the deadline for prize collection will be extended.
More Unclaimed Prizes
This extension added six months to the usual twelve, giving individuals eligible for a windfall the chance to make their way to a retailer and verify they are in possession of a winning ticket. Renaud Dugas, spokesperson for the Crown corporation pointed out that a total of seven official announcements have been made over the past 18 months.
The winner eligible for the cash payout failed to contact the gaming leader in time, which does not happen often. In most cases, lottery millionaires claim their prize way before the deadline. This month is about to see the expiry of two more prizes coming Quebec’s way and individuals eligible for them still have time to collect the windfall. The first one expires on January 7.
It is a Lotto MAX one amounting to CA$500,000 and it came with the January 7, 2020 draw. The ticket has the numbers 7, 10, 17, 20, 38, 43, and 49 printed. The second prize expiring on January 22 came with the Extra draw on July 24, 2019. It amounts to some CA$1,000,000 and the winning ticket comes with the number 5823177 printed.
