Last updated October 5, 2026
First steps with a winning ticket
- Sign your ticket if you haven't already, following the instructions printed on it, and keep it somewhere safe.
- Check it with your official lottery, at a retailer or on the lottery's website or app.
- Don't wait too long. Draw-game tickets can be claimed for one year from the draw date in every province. For scratch tickets, check the date on the back.
Where to claim, by region
Small prizes are paid by any lottery retailer. Larger prizes are claimed through your lottery. You'll need government-issued photo ID, and you generally have to claim in the region where you bought the ticket.
| Lottery | Provinces | Paid at a store | Bigger prizes | Official claim page |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OLG | Ontario | Under $1,000 | $1,000 or more: online claim form, by mail, or at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto by appointment | OLG ↗ |
| Loto-Québec | Quebec | Up to $600 | Online or by mail up to $50,000. Over $50,000: in person by appointment | Loto-Québec ↗ |
| BCLC | British Columbia | Up to $2,000 | Up to $24,999.99 at regional prize payout locations or by mail. $25,000 or more: by appointment in Vancouver or Kamloops | BCLC ↗ |
| WCLC | Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the territories | Up to $1,000 | Over $1,000: at a WCLC prize office by appointment, or by mail | WCLC ↗ |
| Atlantic Lottery | New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador | Up to $250 | Larger prizes are paid through Atlantic Lottery. Check its claim page for the right option | Atlantic Lottery ↗ |
Stores can choose to pay more in some regions, and limits can change. Always confirm on your lottery's official claim page.
Damaged, lost or stolen tickets
The official rules for Lotto Max, Lotto 6/49 and the other national games say a ticket that is materially illegible or mutilated is void. That isn’t always the end of the story. Every ticket carries a control number the lottery can check against its central computer, and lotteries can use their discretion. The important thing is to contact your lottery before you do anything else.
If your ticket is torn, washed or faded
- Keep every piece together. Don’t tape over the barcode or the numbers, and don’t write anything else on the ticket.
- Call your lottery before mailing it. They’ll tell you whether the ticket can still be checked and how to send it in. Payment isn’t guaranteed. Loto-Québec, for example, says a damaged ticket can only be paid if it can be validated through its control number.
- If you mail it, protect yourself. Make a photocopy, and use registered or tracked mail. The lotteries say the risk of mailing a ticket stays with you.
If your ticket is lost or stolen
- A lottery ticket works much like cash. The lotteries generally pay the person who has the ticket, so without it, most can’t pay a prize.
- In Ontario, call OLG anyway. OLG says that if you’ve lost a ticket it may still be able to verify your claim using data analysis. Call 1-800-387-0098.
- Elsewhere, contact your lottery right away with where and when you bought the ticket and which game and draw it was for. There’s no guarantee, but they’re the only ones who can check.
- If it was stolen, report it to the police as well.
How to protect your tickets
- Sign it as soon as you buy it. Every Canadian lottery says signing your ticket protects you if it’s lost or stolen, because a major prize is paid to the person whose name is on it. Where to sign varies, so follow the instructions printed on your ticket.
- Take a photo of the front and back. It won’t replace the ticket, but BCLC suggests it as evidence if there’s ever an investigation.
- Consider buying online. Tickets bought through your province’s official lottery website or app are tied to your account, and smaller prizes are deposited automatically.
| Lottery | Provinces | Phone for damaged or lost tickets |
|---|---|---|
| OLG | Ontario | 1-800-387-0098 |
| Loto-Québec | Quebec | 1-866-611-5686 |
| BCLC | British Columbia | 1-866-815-0222 |
| WCLC | Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba and the territories | 1-800-665-3313 |
| Atlantic Lottery | New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, Newfoundland and Labrador | 1-800-561-3942 |
Based on each lottery’s published rules and help pages as of October 5, 2026. Only your lottery can decide whether a damaged or lost ticket can be paid.
Group wins
If you played as a group, every lottery has a group claim form that lists each member and their share, signed by everyone. Some lotteries require it for larger prizes. It's easiest to fill it out before you claim, and even better to agree on the details before the draw.
Will my name be published?
Usually, for big prizes. Canadian lotteries generally ask major winners to agree to publicity, such as their name, city and a photo, and they allow anonymity only in exceptional cases, like a genuine safety concern. Since 2026, OLG and BCLC news releases about winners use first names and last initials only. Each lottery's claim page explains its rules.
Do I pay tax on my prize?
No. Lottery prizes aren't taxed in Canada, but what you earn by investing them is. Read our guide: Are lottery winnings taxed in Canada?