An $80-million lottery prize remains unclaimed nearly a month after the winning ticket was sold in London, Ont.
The jackpot is one of the largest lottery prizes in Canadian history.
“We are still waiting. We have had no contact with the winner or winners because we don’t know if it is one person holding the ticket or a group of people holding the ticket,” said OLG’s Tony Bitonti, who added the delay is not unusual.
“The winners do take their time; they take at least a few months to talk to financial advisors, to talk to lawyers, to talk to bankers, to talk to friends and family,” he explained.
Over the decades, London has been home to several big jackpot winners. In recent years, $11 million and $9 million prizes have been claimed.
In 2019, a St. Thomas couple won $26 million, but they didn’t come forward without advice.
“We are quite comfortable with the people who will help us through this decision over the next three to six months. And nobody is rushing us on anything,” said winner Helen Phillips at the time.
Securing a ticket is a big consideration. Bitonti says many winners put trust in experts, but not all.
“As soon as they reach their financial advisor, they will put it in a safe deposit box. Some people do put it just in a junk drawer in the kitchen. That’s the one that scares me the most,” he added.
But with horror stories of pets — and laundry machines — eating tickets, he encourages winners to contact them as soon as they have their ducks in a row.
“So, in this case, when it’s worth $80 million, we want to make sure that that ticket is secure and that you do come forward as soon as possible,” he explained.
The winners have one year to claim their prize.
Bitonti concedes the process is life-changing but can also mark the start of an opportunity.
Some winners have been generous, including a $70 million winner in Ottawa, who gave away thousands of dollars this past Christmas.
Still, what London’s newest mega-millionaire winner(s) decide to do with their $80 million is up to them.
“You know, this is overwhelming. You have become a multi-millionaire overnight,” concluded Bitonti.
