Buying & Signing It
Purchasing Tickets
You must be 19 years of age or older to purchase lottery products in any Atlantic Canadian province.
Before leaving the retail counter, double-check your lottery tickets:
- If you pick your own numbers, make sure the numbers on your draw ticket match the numbers you chose on your selection slip.
- Make sure all the games and draw dates you purchased are included on your ticket.
- Your Scratch’N Win or Breakopen ticket should be free of damage or defects. If your ticket seems unusually damaged, call our Customer Care Department at 1-800-561-3942.
- Avoid making any extra markings on your ticket. Unknown markings can increase the time it takes to process your prize claim. The only information that should be written on the ticket is your signature or printed name and the personal information required to complete the back of the ticket.
Simply Sign it!
For tickets purchased at retail, always sign your lottery ticket as soon as you purchase it. You’ll find a signature line on the front of all draw and sports tickets, and on the back of all Scratch'N Win tickets. For added protection, complete the information on the back of the ticket. Before your lottery ticket can be validated, you’ll need to sign it (except Breakopen). Signing it means that ticket is yours…and wouldn’t you want it to be if it was a winner?!
For tickets purchased online, your personal www.alc.ca account is a means to ensure the ticket belongs to you.
Some Frequently Asked Questions
- Why do I have to sign my ticket?
- Do I have to sign every ticket?
- What about Breakopen tickets?
- What is the benefit of signing the ticket; what good does it do?
- I am unable to write. What should I do?
- This is not my ticket. Should I sign it anyway?
- This is not my ticket and it’s signed by the person who asked me to have it validated. Can it be validated?
- Signing my name on the ticket might be a policy but it’s not law so I refuse to sign.
- Why would you ask someone to sign their ticket if the retailer is going to pay out a prize to someone else who brings the ticket in for validation?
- Do I need to sign the back or the front of the ticket?
- What about identity theft? Will retailers protect the information on my ticket?
- If I mark an X, what is stopping someone from signing my ticket and claiming my prize?
- Do I need to sign the ticket at the moment I buy it?
- What if it is a group?
- Can I only initial instead of putting a signature?
- I don’t want my non-winning ticket back.
1. Why do I have to sign my ticket?
By signing your ticket, you protect your purchase and your prize if your ticket is a winner.
2. Do I have to sign every ticket?
Any ticket being validated needs to be signed before a retailer can validate them for you.
3. What about Breakopen tickets?
The validation process for Breakopen tickets is different so you’re not obligated to sign them. However, we would suggest you sign them as well.
4. What is the benefit of signing the ticket; what good does it do?
Signing it means that ticket is yours…and wouldn’t you want it to be if it was a winner?! This allows you to recognize that the ticket belongs to you.
5. I am unable to write. What should I do?
You should mark the ticket the way you normally mark documents.
6. This is not my ticket. Should I sign it anyway?
Ideally, the ticket should be signed by the person for whom it was intended when it was purchased. For example, if the ticket was purchased as a gift, the person receiving the ticket should sign it before it is validated.
7. This is not my ticket and it’s signed by the person who asked me to have it validated. Can it be validated?
Yes, it can be validated if it’s signed.
8. Signing my name on the ticket might be a policy but it’s not law so I refuse to sign.
This Atlantic Lottery policy protects both our players and our retailers. You’re right! It’s not law but retailers will not validate your ticket unless it is signed. If you’re having trouble with this policy, we’d be happy to chat with you. Please call us at 1-800-561-3942.
9. Why would you ask someone to sign their ticket if the retailer is going to pay out a prize to someone else who brings the ticket in for validation?
The retailer’s role is to ensure that tickets are signed before they are validated. If you do choose to sign a ticket that is not your ticket, and if the ticket is the winner of a major prize, the person who signed the winning ticket will need to either claim the prize themselves or accompany the person who is claiming the prize so that the appropriate paper work can be filled out.
10. Do I need to sign the back or the front of the ticket?
It doesn’t really matter; what’s important is that the ticket is signed.
11. What about identity theft? Will retailers protect the information on my ticket?
The point of signing the ticket is to put a mark on the ticket that will allow you to identify the ticket as being yours. All tickets - non winning and winning - should be returned to you to keep.
12. If I mark an X, what is stopping someone from signing my ticket and claiming my prize?
You can use whatever mark you want. Using an “X” is one example. Use whatever mark makes you feel comfortable.
13. Do I need to sign the ticket at the moment I buy it?
We recommend that you always sign your lottery ticket as soon as you purchase it, but it is not mandatory to do so at that moment. No matter what, the ticket does need to be signed before a retailer can validate it.but it does need to be signed before your retailer can validate it.
14. What if it is a ticket bought for a group?
Good luck to your group! Make sure you designate one member to sign the tickets. If you’ve got other questions, call us Atlantic Lottery at 1-800-561-3942, or click here.
15. Can I only initial instead of putting a signature?
Players can sign their tickets with whatever signature they normally use when signing documents.
16. I don’t want my non-winning ticket back.
Retailers are required to return to you all tickets, whether non-winning or winning, along with the player receipt as a way to protect you. That way you’ll know if your ticket was a winner or non-winner.
Click here for details on checking your ticket and seeing if you’ve won.