Unclaimed $15M lottery ticket sold last August in B.C. set to expire
Someone in British Columbia could be sitting on a lottery ticket worth a whopping $15 million – but there's only a few weeks left to claim the jackpot.
The B.C. Lottery Corporation said the Lotto Max ticket was purchased last summer in Vancouver, and matched all seven numbers in the Aug. 13, 2021 draw: 1, 14, 17, 20, 28, 32 and 38.
"Where were you last August?" the BCLC asked in a news release. "Be sure to check your beach bags, suitcases, glove boxes or anywhere else for a winning $15 million Lotto Max ticket."
Lottery winners have 52 weeks to get their ducks in a row and claim their prize, which means this lucky ticket will expire at midnight on Aug. 13, 2022 if no one comes forward.
The specific location where the ticket was sold will only be announced after the winner is identified.
While the ticket-holder may not be aware of their good fortune, there have been lottery winners who chose to wait until the last minute for a variety of reasons, foregoing sizeable sums of interest they could have potentially accumulated on top of their prize money.
The Mayrhofer family from Langley came forward just five days before their $50 million Lotto Max prize expired back in 2015. Lottery officials said the family, whom they described as "very shy," had been trying to work out an arrangement that would keep their name private.
Lottery winners' names are almost always made public in the interest of transparency.
According to the BCLC website, unclaimed prize money from national draws such as Lotto Max and Lotto 6/49 is "returned to players through future bonus games or promotions."
Unclaimed money from games only offered in B.C. is "accounted for annually as part of BCLC's net income and provided to the provincial government to benefit the people of British Columbia."
The odds of winning a Lotto Max jackpot, which requires matching all seven numbers without using the bonus number, are said to be about one in 33.3 million.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING | Actor Anne Heche dies a week after car crash
Actor Anne Heche has died after suffering a brain injury following a car crash last week, according to her family. She was 53.

Author Salman Rushdie attacked on lecture stage in New York
Salman Rushdie, the author whose writing led to death threats from Iran in the 1980s, was attacked and apparently stabbed in the neck Friday by a man who rushed the stage as he was about to give a lecture in western New York.
300,000 Canadians at 'severe' or 'moderate' risk of gambling problems
While problem gambling affects a minority of the Canadian population, more than 300,000 are at “severe” or “moderate risk” for gambling-related problems, according to a Statistics Canada study of gambling behaviour.
Cabinet heard of potential 'breakthrough' with 'Freedom Convoy' protesters before Emergencies Act was invoked: documents
The night before the federal government invoked the Emergencies Act in response to the 'Freedom Convoy' protests, the prime minister’s national security adviser told him there was 'a potential for a breakthrough' in Ottawa, court documents show.
Judge suspends two articles of Quebec's Bill 96 regarding legal translations
A Quebec Superior Court judge has temporarily suspended two articles of the province's new language law, saying they could prevent some English-speaking organizations from accessing justice through the courts.
Hydro lines will take 'several days' to repair as Toronto investigates massive power outage
The City of Toronto is investigating a power outage that left a large swath of the downtown core including office buildings, a major mall and a university campus without electricity yesterday.
WHO plans to rename monkeypox over stigmatization concerns
The World Health Organization says it's holding an open forum to rename the disease monkeypox, after some critics raised concerns the name could be derogatory or have racist connotations.
Trump home search: Judge deciding on unsealing the warrant
A federal judge was to decide as soon as Friday whether to grant the Department of Justice's request to unseal the warrant that authorized the FBI to search former U.S. President Donald Trump's Florida estate. Attorney General Merrick Garland declared there was 'substantial public interest in this matter,' and Trump backed the warrant's 'immediate' release.
The August 'sturgeon moon' has passed over Earth: Here is what it looked like
Rising over beaches, buildings and statues, the last supermoon of the year created ample viewing and photo opportunities around the world Thursday night.