There may be millionaires among us, but their luck has an expiration date.
A Minnesota Lottery Gopher 5 ticket worth $1,489,175 is out there somewhere, and the holder has only a few days left to claim the prize.
"Handing out checks is my favorite part of the job," said Clint Harris, executive director of the Minnesota State Lottery. "I'd like to do that one more time before the 17th."
That's when the ticket with the winning numbers 4-12-13-24-35 will expire, one year after it was drawn. If that happens, the state of Minnesota becomes the winner, with the money going to the state's general fund.
This could become the largest Minnesota lottery jackpot ever to go unclaimed, but it wouldn't be the first. Each year, Minnesota players neglect to claim an average of $6 million to $7 million in lottery winnings, Harris said.
Also unclaimed are four $200,000 Powerball tickets from drawings on Feb. 15, Aug. 2, Sept. 13 and Jan. 3. Players have one year from the drawing dates to claim prizes.
"These are significant prizes for people," said Harris. "But we've awarded $3.2 billion in prizes over the years, so in the scheme of things, they're small numbers."
Lottery officials haven't begun to worry about hearing from one of two $1 million winners of the Minnesota Millionaire Raffle Game. Lynton Lindell of Cumberland, Wis., claimed one prize last Wednesday, two days after the winning numbers were drawn. Who holds the remaining $1 million ticket, with numbers 030308, remains a mystery.
I clench my teeth when I read stories like this one. Not that the money would be mailed to me, but I just can't imagine buying the winning ticket and then forgetting about it or losing it! Saturday night was the first time in several years I got 4 out of 5 numbers ($75) in the FL Lotto and by Sunday I had already collected the money from Publix. Unclaimed tickets are also common here. I think $22 million is the largest jackpot to date. I'm still shaking my head.
When people are on line in front of me playing 100 numbers at a clip, plus 50 scratch-offs, I can understand. People rush through checking tickets and thus more than once I find a $5 or $10 winner tossed aside, one time with three same amounts in plain sight. I made a program to check Crossword tickets (want it, anyone?) and it found one with 5 words, someone only found two of them. Lotto tickets bought on a whim will slip under the seat of the player's vehicle or put aside to "check later". They get busy and forget. Serious players like us would notice a ticket is about to expire but casual players maybe don't hear about it.
I just hate that everytime I hear this it's usually a State far away so no chance I might have it. When I check the nj site it always says "Sorry, there are no unclaimed jackpots. Thank you...etc..."
That's a great story. I hope the winning jackpot in Minnesota steps forward. Also, I hope the second prize Powerball ticket winners step forward to claim the prizes.
Let me go ahead and say:
I hope the winner step forward. This is a good story.
LOL
I clench my teeth when I read stories like this one. Not that the money would be mailed to me, but I just can't imagine buying the winning ticket and then forgetting about it or losing it! Saturday night was the first time in several years I got 4 out of 5 numbers ($75) in the FL Lotto and by Sunday I had already collected the money from Publix. Unclaimed tickets are also common here. I think $22 million is the largest jackpot to date. I'm still shaking my head.
When people are on line in front of me playing 100 numbers at a clip, plus 50 scratch-offs, I can understand. People rush through checking tickets and thus more than once I find a $5 or $10 winner tossed aside, one time with three same amounts in plain sight. I made a program to check Crossword tickets (want it, anyone?) and it found one with 5 words, someone only found two of them. Lotto tickets bought on a whim will slip under the seat of the player's vehicle or put aside to "check later". They get busy and forget. Serious players like us would notice a ticket is about to expire but casual players maybe don't hear about it.
I just hate that everytime I hear this it's usually a State far away so no chance I might have it. When I check the nj site it always says "Sorry, there are no unclaimed jackpots. Thank you...etc..."
That's a great story. I hope the winning jackpot in Minnesota steps forward. Also, I hope the second prize Powerball ticket winners step forward to claim the prizes.
Well, at least you beat him to it.
I'm rolling on the floor..........................
Barely..........
Here is an example of how someone can be the "Master of the obvious".........
Contestant: May I have a "c"
Pat Sajac; yes, there is one "c".
Contestant: I would like to buy a vowel please-I would like an "e"
Pat Sajac: yes, there two e's
Contestant: I would like to buy another vowel- I would like an "a"
Pat Sajac: yes, there is an a.
Contestant: May I have a L ?
Pat Sajac : Yes, there is one L.
Contestant: May I have a G ?
Pat Sajac : yes, there is one G.
Contestant: I would like to buy another vowel- I would like a "u"
Pat Sajac: Yes, there is one U.
Contestant:May I have a T ?
Pat Sajac: yes, there is one T.
Contestant: I would like to solve the puzzle - " get a clue " ??
Pat Sajac : Congratulations ! I hope you step forward and claim your prize.....