$50 million Lotto Max prize remains unclaimed just days before deadline

UPDATE: March 9 – 2:48 p.m. – The winner has now come forward! 

VANCOUVER – With the clock ticking down to claim one of Canada’s largest lottery prizes, rumours are circulating about the would-be millionaire.

March 14 is the deadline to claim the $50 million Lotto Max jackpot. It was sold in Langley 11 months ago and there is wild speculation about the person who bought the ticket, with many believing it was purchased by a minor.

Others wonder whether the buyer has died or lost their ticket.

In December, 2014, a woman filed a civil claim in B.C. Supreme Court, claiming her co-worker is hiding the ticket that was part of a workplace pool.

Gayleen Elliott is suing Dalbir Sidhu for $52 million, breach of contract and fraud.

She claims in 2012, she, Sidhu and a number of other Shoppers Drug Mart employees entered into a contract to form a weekly lottery pool. Each member would contribute $5 to play the lottery, Lotto Max and occasionally Lotto 6/49. The eight members would specify a set of seven numbers to be played each week for the Lotto Max draw, and four members would request a Quick Pick. Elliott states in her claim that the pool members trusted Sidhu to purchase the tickets each week and report the numbers to the pool.

Sidhu was not allowed to buy personal lottery tickets with the pool’s money.

Around March 14, 2014, Elliott says she found out the winning ticket was purchased in Langley and remained unclaimed. She says she asked Sidhu about the tickets he purchased and he said he bought them from an Esso on 152nd Street in Surrey on March 14. When she asked him to show her the tickets, she says he told her they were in the box with other past lottery tickets.

She says she then searched the box but could not find any tickets from March 14. When the pool asked the BC Lottery Corporation about the missing tickets they were told their specified numbers for the March 14 draw were never sold.

Then, last week, Elliott says Sidhu sent them an email saying he forgot to purchase the tickets in March due to family engagements at the time.

The winning numbers are 3, 4, 5, 7, 31, 33, 40, with a bonus of 49.