Lotto ticket for an lottery illustration. (QMI Agency/ERNEST DOROSZUK)

CALGARY - The ticket for Lotto 6/49's third-largest prize was sold in Alberta, making the province home to the winners of the lottery's top three jackpots.

The Alberta winner of the $45.6 million prize in Wednesday's draw has yet to come forward, but Western Canada Lottery spokeswoman Andrea Marantz is thrilled by the province's streak of luck when it comes to the big ones.

"It's fantastic, but there's no rhyme or reason, it's the luck of the draw," Marantz said.

Lottery officials don't know exactly which part of the province the latest winner resides.

"All we know is that the ticket wasn't purchased in the cities of Edmonton or Calgary," Marantz said.

Wednesday's windfall is the third-richest in 6/49 history.

The largest, $54.3 million, was claimed by 17 Camrose, Alta., oilpatch workers in 2005, followed by the $49.8 million won in 2009 by 13 Edmonton Alberta Treasury Branch co-workers,

Winners have a year from the draw date to claim their prize, she said, and it's not unheard of that close calls occur.

Last year, a Calgary woman had neglected a winning ticket worth more $3 million when she bought a new purse, Marantz said.

"She'd put the old one back in a closet but checked it three weeks before its expiry date," she said.

Another huge prize is up for the taking Friday night -- a Lotto Max windfall worth $42 million.

The winning numbers for Wednesday's Lotto 6/49 are 15,20,29,36,38,42 and the bonus: 27

bill.kaufmann@sunmedia.ca

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