Atlantic Canada does one thing no other region does: for a mid-size win, you take your ticket to a bank. Atlantic Lottery partners with Scotiabank so that prizes up to $24,999 can be claimed at a branch — the ALC claim form even has a field for the Scotiabank transit number. Here's the full process across New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, PEI, and Newfoundland and Labrador.
Where to claim, by prize size
| Prize amount | Where you claim |
|---|---|
| Up to $1,000 | Any ALC retailer (cash, subject to store cash) |
| $250 – $24,999 | Any Scotiabank branch in Atlantic Canada, or ALC Head Office in Moncton |
| $25,000 and up | By appointment with ALC's Winners Team (1-800-561-3942) |
The Scotiabank route for $250–$24,999 is the distinctive feature — you claim at any Bank of Nova Scotia branch in the region, or in person at ALC's Moncton head office. For $25,000 and up, you call ALC's Winners Team to arrange an in-person appointment.
ALC's offices operate Monday to Friday, 8:30–4:30, in three cities: Moncton (Head Office, 922 Main Street), Halifax (1680 Argyle Street), and St. John's (30 Hallett Crescent). If you buy online or through the app, wins deposit into your alc.ca account — up to $24,999 for online purchases, and up to $999 through the app's ticket scanner.
Check your ticket before you claim
Sign the back of your ticket in ink as soon as you can — ALC notes you can sign the front or back of your original ticket, and that "this helps to protect you if your ticket is lost or stolen." Then verify the win before choosing a claim route: use the ALC app's ticket scanner, an in-store terminal, or the posted numbers rather than trusting a glance at the numbers. Confirm the amount, then match it to the right tier — retailer, Scotiabank branch, or Winners Team.
The one-year deadline
Draw games give you one year (52 weeks) from the draw date to claim, per ALC's Rules and Regulations. Scratch'N Win tickets expire on the date printed on the back instead.
What to bring
ALC's paperwork is the most formal of the five corporations:
- Your signed original ticket — complete the information on the back.
- Photo ID — one Primary piece, or two Secondary pieces.
- A completed Prize Claim Form, which includes a Statutory Declaration sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths, plus a Disclosure Statement (a non-arm's-length declaration — confirming you're not a lottery insider).
- Your banking information — a void cheque — for the direct deposit.
ALC does not ask for your SIN; there's no field for it on the form.
Two parts of that list trip up first-time claimants. The Statutory Declaration is a formal statement, sworn before a Commissioner of Oaths, that you're the rightful owner of the ticket — the same kind of sworn statement you'd make before a notary. The Disclosure Statement is a non-arm's-length declaration confirming you aren't a lottery insider (an ALC employee, retailer, or their close family), a standard integrity check. Neither is difficult, but both are reasons a large claim is handled in person rather than dropped in the mail.
What happens after you file
A retail-level win is paid quickly. A larger claim — anything routed to the Winners Team at $25,000 and up — is verified before payout and handled by appointment, so it takes longer than tapping a card at a Scotiabank counter. The upside is the payment method: ALC pays by direct deposit, so once a claim clears there's no cheque to wait on in the mail. Have your banking details (a void cheque) and ID ready, and the verification is routine.
How you'll be paid
ALC pays by direct deposit to the banking information you provide — one of only two corporations (with Loto-Québec) that deposit rather than mail a cheque. The prize is a single, tax-free lump sum: ALC states plainly that "Canadians are not taxed on lottery winnings," and only the investment income the money later earns is taxable. The full tax picture is in Are Lottery Winnings Taxable in Canada?.
Claiming as a group
For a pooled ticket, ALC requires a Group Win Agreement form, referenced right on the Prize Claim Form, and group members generally must be present to claim. Members in different places can complete separate copies returned to the trustee. If your pool is an office or friends arrangement, read Group Play and Office Pools — the single best protection against a shared win turning into a dispute is a written agreement made before the draw.
Publicity
For major wins, publicity consent is mandatory: the claim form grants ALC the right to publish your name, hometown, and photograph across all media for up to a year. The only thing you can decline is publicity beyond that first year. There's no documented public-safety anonymity exception published by ALC. See Can You Stay Anonymous After Winning? for how Atlantic Canada compares to the rest of the country.
The short version
Under $1,000, any retailer; $250 to $24,999, your nearest Scotiabank branch or the Moncton office; $25,000 and up, an appointment with ALC's Winners Team. Bring your signed ticket, photo ID, and be ready to swear a declaration before a Commissioner of Oaths, plus a void cheque for the deposit. The prize lands in your account, whole and tax-free — with your name and photo public on a major win. For a big prize, start with What to Do If You Win the Lottery in Canada.