Lotto Max buyers snap up tickets for $100M in prizes
CBC News
Posted: Jul 6, 2012 8:25 AM ET
Last Updated: Jul 6, 2012 10:56 PM ET
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Lottery terminals across the country saw a rush of activity Friday as Canadians snapped up tickets ahead of the evening's draw for the $50-million Lotto Max and another 50 $1-million MaxMillions prizes.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. said the $100 million in total prize money is the most to be won since Lotto Max launched in 2009.
At a kiosk in Toronto's downtown Union Station, people were putting down their money earlier this week for the $5 tickets to the lottery. One man bought $70 worth.
Another buyer, Katie Mills, said she was buying more tickets than usual for the draw. She purchased one ticket at the train station kiosk before she headed home.
"But I also am a little superstitious, so I also buy at the corner store in the little village I live in," she said.
It marked the fourth week in a row that the $50-million prize was available, as no one has won it.
Don Pister of OLG noted there was a chance that the big money wouldn't be won Friday.
"It still comes down to the point of the rubber balls bouncing around in a draw machine, and they're going to do what they're going to do," he said.
"If it is not won, then we'd be looking at another offering the week after that would be even bigger than this."
But Pister said that main jackpot of $50 million will never go any higher.
The odds of winning one of the big prizes are long — about one in 28.6 million.
Lotto officials reminded people to be patient Friday night. With so many draws, it will probably take until Saturday morning to confirm all the winning numbers.
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