What Should You Do If Your Lottery Ticket Is Lost, Stolen or Damaged?

Imagine winning the lottery only to discover your ticket is lost, stolen, or too damaged to scan. It’s a nightmare scenario that happens more often than you might think. While lottery tickets are considered “bearer instruments” (meaning whoever possesses them can claim the prize), all hope isn’t necessarily lost if your winning ticket goes missing or gets destroyed.

Discovering you’ve lost a lottery ticket, especially a winning one, is devastating, but there are steps you can take.

1. Search thoroughly and retrace your steps

Before assuming the worst, conduct a comprehensive search. Many “lost” tickets turn up during thorough searches.

2. Check if you signed the ticket

Try to remember: did you sign the back of the ticket when you bought it or when you realized it might be a winner?

If you signed it: You have a much stronger claim if it’s found. The signature establishes your ownership.

If you didn’t sign it: Anyone who finds it can potentially claim it as their own, making recovery much more difficult.

3. Contact the retailer where you purchased it

Visit or call the store where you bought the ticket:

• They may have security footage showing your purchase
• The transaction may be in their system if you paid by debit or credit card
• They might have found the ticket if you dropped it in the store
• They can provide documentation of your purchase

4. Report it to the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG)

Contact OLG immediately to report the lost ticket:

• Provide as much information as possible: purchase date, location, ticket type, and approximate numbers if you remember them
• Give them your signature if you signed the ticket
• Explain the circumstances of how it was lost
• Ask them to flag the ticket’s serial number if you have it

If someone tries to claim your signed ticket, OLG may contact you to verify ownership.

5. File a police report

If you believe the ticket was lost in a public place or may have been taken, file a police report:

• Creates an official record of the loss
• May help if someone tries to claim your signed ticket
• Can be evidence in a legal dispute over ownership
• May be required by OLG or for insurance purposes

A stolen lottery ticket presents different challenges.

1. Report the theft to police immediately

File a police report as soon as you realize the ticket was stolen:

• Provide detailed information about the ticket (purchase date, location, numbers if known, serial number if available)
• Explain how and when the theft occurred
• Get a copy of the police report
• Provide police with any evidence (witnesses, security footage, etc.)

A police report is crucial evidence that you owned the ticket and that it was taken from you unlawfully.

2. Contact OLG immediately

Notify the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation right away:

• Report the ticket as stolen
• Provide the police report number
• Give them all information about the ticket
• Request that they flag the ticket to prevent someone else from claiming it

OLG may place a hold on the prize if someone tries to claim it, pending investigation of the theft claim.

3. Provide evidence of ownership

Gather any evidence that you owned the ticket:

• Receipt from the purchase (if you paid by debit/credit card)
• Security footage from the retailer showing your purchase
• Photos or photocopies of the ticket (if you made any)
• Witness statements from people who saw you with the ticket
• Records showing you checked the numbers or visited the lottery website
• Your signature if you signed the ticket

4. Monitor for claims

Stay in contact with OLG and police to monitor whether anyone attempts to claim the ticket. If someone does:

• You’ll have an opportunity to challenge the claim
• The dispute may be resolved through OLG’s internal process or through court
• Your evidence will be critical to proving you’re the rightful owner

Criminal charges: The person who stole your ticket can be charged with theft. A criminal conviction supports your civil claim to the prize.

Civil action: You can sue the person who stole your ticket (or anyone who claims it knowing it was stolen) for:

• Return of the ticket
• Payment of the prize money
• Damages for your losses
• An injunction preventing them from claiming the prize

If you signed the ticket, your case is much stronger. If the ticket was unsigned, you’ll need substantial evidence to overcome the presumption that the bearer (the person possessing it) is the owner.

Damaged lottery tickets can often still be validated — but it depends on the extent of the damage.

For OLG to validate a damaged ticket, they typically need:

The barcode to be readable – If the barcode can still be scanned, the ticket can usually be validated normally.

Sufficient identifying information – If the barcode is damaged, OLG needs:

• The ticket serial number
• The draw date
• Other identifiable features that can be matched to their system

The ticket to meet minimum integrity requirements – The ticket must be genuine and not altered or tampered with.

If OLG determines they cannot validate your lost, stolen, or damaged ticket, you face a difficult situation. Your options are limited:

• You generally cannot claim the prize without OLG’s validation
• You may be able to pursue legal action if someone else claims your ticket and you have evidence of ownership
• You may be able to challenge OLG’s decision through legal channels if you believe validation should have been possible

If multiple people claim ownership of the same ticket, the dispute may need to be resolved through:

OLG’s internal process – They may investigate and make a determination based on evidence.

Negotiation – The parties may reach a settlement to split the prize or resolve the dispute.

Mediation or arbitration – Alternative dispute resolution can avoid court.

Litigation – A court may need to determine rightful ownership based on evidence.

In these disputes, evidence is everything:

• Signed tickets carry significant weight
• Purchase receipts and documentation matter
• Witness testimony can be crucial
• Photos or copies of the ticket help establish ownership

If you find yourself in a dispute over a valuable lottery ticket, the stakes are high and the legal issues can be complex. Acting quickly, preserving evidence, and getting experienced legal guidance can make all the difference.

Our Toronto Lottery lawyers can help you protect your rights and pursue your claim. Contact us for a confidential consultation at 416.901.9984 or info@pintoshekib.ca.