Across Canada about $1 million in lottery prize money goes unclaimed every month
By Dave Dormer, Calgary Sun
First posted: Thursday, January 14, 2016 06:42 PM EST | Updated: Thursday, January 14, 2016 07:55 PM EST
Check those lottery tickets closely before you throw them away.
They could be worth some of the estimated $1 million a month in prize money that goes unclaimed across Canada.
“Generally it’s about 1% of prizes that are not redeemed,” said Western Canada Lottery Corporation spokeswoman Andrea Marantz,
“When you consider the vast number of wins that happen, that 1% does add up for sure.
“With Lotto 6/49 and LottoMax, each month there are about $130 million in prizes awarded so that would be about $1 million that’s going unclaimed.”
Most unclaimed prizes are for smaller amounts — $10, $5, $2 or even a free play, said Marantz.
“Things get washed in jeans or get stuck in the glove compartment,” she said.
“It’s more lost tickets or the fact people haven’t bothered to keep track because it’s such a small amount.
“It’s really rare that it’s a large prize.”
Here in Alberta, only two large prizes are still outstanding from 2015 — $250,000 from the May 29 MaxMillions draw and $10,000 from the March 21 Lotto 6/49 draw.
Each year, Marantz said about $2 million in cash prizes goes unclaimed in Alberta.
“Most lottery players are semi-regular players,” said Marantz.
“They’re familiar enough they do realize there are a lot of other prizes on there, so people generally check their tickets.”
And Canadian lottery players seems to be better at checking tickets than their American counterparts, where officials there estimate roughly $2 billion goes unclaimed every year.
Lotto prizes in Canada must be claimed within one year from the draw date and any unclaimed money from national draws is used to guarantee jackpots and bonus draws while money from regional games is either used to beef up prizes or is returned to provinces and territories as general revenue.
For more information visit http://wclc.ca.
dave.dormer@sunmedia.ca
On Twitter: @SUNDaveDormer
Across Canada about $1 million in lottery prize money goes unclaimed every month
Fortune or faker? Powerball 'winner' not convincing on social media
Postmedia Network
First posted: Thursday, January 14, 2016 03:42 PM EST | Updated: Thursday, January 14, 2016 03:57 PM EST
Is this America's newest billionaire, or just a shaggy guy who's good at Photoshop?
The Internet appeared to be split on whether a bearded professional skateboarder from California, who claimed on Instagram that he won the Powerball, is the real deal.
"OMG I WON $1.5 BILLION!!!!! I'm posting this in case anyone tries to jack me this is proof! Look it up, I bought in chino hills where I grew up!" Erik Bragg posted on his account, with a photo of him holding up what appears to be a winning $1.6-billion ticket.
It would be one of three sold in the United States -- in Florida, Tennessee and, yes, California.
Tens of thousands liked and commented on Bragg's post.
But while many people jumped in to plead for cash, just as many dismissed his win as a hoax, finding evidence to suggest the photo was manipulated.
Is Erik Bragg America’s newest billionaire, or just a shaggy guy who’s good at Photoshop? The Internet appeared split on whether a bearded professional skateboarder from California, who claimed on Instagram that he won the Powerball. is the real deal. (Instagram / Postmedia Network )
Fortune or faker? Powerball 'winner' not convincing on social media | World | Ne
By Dave Dormer, Calgary Sun
First posted: Thursday, January 14, 2016 06:42 PM EST | Updated: Thursday, January 14, 2016 07:55 PM EST
Check those lottery tickets closely before you throw them away.
They could be worth some of the estimated $1 million a month in prize money that goes unclaimed across Canada.
“Generally it’s about 1% of prizes that are not redeemed,” said Western Canada Lottery Corporation spokeswoman Andrea Marantz,
“When you consider the vast number of wins that happen, that 1% does add up for sure.
“With Lotto 6/49 and LottoMax, each month there are about $130 million in prizes awarded so that would be about $1 million that’s going unclaimed.”
Most unclaimed prizes are for smaller amounts — $10, $5, $2 or even a free play, said Marantz.
“Things get washed in jeans or get stuck in the glove compartment,” she said.
“It’s more lost tickets or the fact people haven’t bothered to keep track because it’s such a small amount.
“It’s really rare that it’s a large prize.”
Here in Alberta, only two large prizes are still outstanding from 2015 — $250,000 from the May 29 MaxMillions draw and $10,000 from the March 21 Lotto 6/49 draw.
Each year, Marantz said about $2 million in cash prizes goes unclaimed in Alberta.
“Most lottery players are semi-regular players,” said Marantz.
“They’re familiar enough they do realize there are a lot of other prizes on there, so people generally check their tickets.”
And Canadian lottery players seems to be better at checking tickets than their American counterparts, where officials there estimate roughly $2 billion goes unclaimed every year.
Lotto prizes in Canada must be claimed within one year from the draw date and any unclaimed money from national draws is used to guarantee jackpots and bonus draws while money from regional games is either used to beef up prizes or is returned to provinces and territories as general revenue.
For more information visit http://wclc.ca.
dave.dormer@sunmedia.ca
On Twitter: @SUNDaveDormer
Across Canada about $1 million in lottery prize money goes unclaimed every month
Fortune or faker? Powerball 'winner' not convincing on social media
Postmedia Network
First posted: Thursday, January 14, 2016 03:42 PM EST | Updated: Thursday, January 14, 2016 03:57 PM EST
Is this America's newest billionaire, or just a shaggy guy who's good at Photoshop?
The Internet appeared to be split on whether a bearded professional skateboarder from California, who claimed on Instagram that he won the Powerball, is the real deal.
"OMG I WON $1.5 BILLION!!!!! I'm posting this in case anyone tries to jack me this is proof! Look it up, I bought in chino hills where I grew up!" Erik Bragg posted on his account, with a photo of him holding up what appears to be a winning $1.6-billion ticket.
It would be one of three sold in the United States -- in Florida, Tennessee and, yes, California.
Tens of thousands liked and commented on Bragg's post.
But while many people jumped in to plead for cash, just as many dismissed his win as a hoax, finding evidence to suggest the photo was manipulated.
Is Erik Bragg America’s newest billionaire, or just a shaggy guy who’s good at Photoshop? The Internet appeared split on whether a bearded professional skateboarder from California, who claimed on Instagram that he won the Powerball. is the real deal. (Instagram / Postmedia Network )
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Fortune or faker? Powerball 'winner' not convincing on social media | World | Ne