A lucky winner stands to net $207 million in Friday's Mega Millions lottery draw, but someone in Hampton, Virginia, faces losing $100,000.
Friday's Mega Millions jackpot is the largest since Feb. 22, said Virginia Lottery spokesman John Hagerty.
The pick-six numbers game is played in 12 states. The last winner, from Rockmart, Ga., received $42 million in October, Hagerty said.
Although lottery sales are down 3 percent over the same period in 2007, they have increased in recent days because of the size of Friday's jackpot, Hagerty said.
There were no jackpot winners in Tuesday's drawing when the prize was $170 million.
But while a Virginian might be celebrating on Friday, someone who lives in, works or traveled through Hampton in the summer is about to lose $100,000 unless they claim a reward, Hagerty said.
Someone bought a ticket for the June 14, Cash 5 night drawing at the 7-Eleven at 1200 N. King St. in Hampton, he said. That ticket turned out to be a $100,000 winner.
But no one has come forward to claim the prize.
Under Virginia Lottery rules, the ticket expires after 180 days, which is at 5 p.m. on Friday .
The winning numbers for that drawing were 4-9-13-27-33. The ticket matched all five numbers.
"The owner of that ticket needs to contact the Virginia Lottery before the deadline," Hagerty said.
By law, all unclaimed prize money goes to the state Literary Fund where it is used solely for educational purposes, such as school construction, renovation and teacher retirement funding. Since its inception in 1988, the state lottery has transferred more than $176.8 million in unclaimed prizes to the Literary Fund.
Your ticket?
A Cash 5 night lottery ticket worth $100,000 will expire at 5 p.m. Friday.
The numbers for that drawing were 4-9-13-27-33. The winning ticket matched all five numbers.
The winner should contact the lottery at 804-692-7777.
Hopefully they will cash it in tonight, but I doubt it.
Can you imagine going through your old lottery tickets tomorrow and discovering that you have the winning ticket and it has expired?
More than likely, it is someone whose does not play often -- picks up a "quick-pick" now and again and then forgets to even check the numbers.
Then either tosses the ticket away or thows it into some "old paper drawer" and forgets ever purchasing a ticket.
I think the state should publish a list of all "expired tickets" and account for all the money they never have to "pay-out"....
Equally likely, the ticket was jammed in the printer and never got to any player.
Hampton man claims lottery winnings hours before expiration
The ticket would have expired at 5:00 p.m. on December 12. Lottery officials said he walked in to the Virginia Lottery’s Customer Service Center in Hampton at 4:40 p.m. on December 11.
“I just couldn’t believe it,” he told Lottery officials. “I wish I’d known sooner.”
McMillian said he was not aware of the media attention caused by the ticket approaching its expiration date. He said he just happened to notice the ticket in the basket and decided to check it.
Unfreaking believable!!
Thanks, Benmas! Great story. That's why I believe every state lottery should try to find the winner. IIRC I read a story on LP about a Connecticut ticket that expired and the state doesn't even post where the ticket was purchased after the drawing.
We have a lot of unclaimed prizes in Florida.
I am shocked! I really didn't think anyone would claim the ticket. I'm glad he turned it in before it expired.
what an idiot!!!! anything,,,,,,a speeding ticket, an accident, a traffic jam and he loses 100K, this world is filled with stupid people.
Why would you buy a lottery ticket in the first place and not check it?????
He needs to forfeit his prize for being stupid.
a$VeryLuckyMan I agree with the second part of your statement where luck meets opportunity, but to say a person is an idiot because he forgot about a lottery ticket is a little harsh. He was still able to claim the cash before the ticket expired. Just think if he had not been looking through his junk drawer he would have been out of a 100K. Also this is not the first time that someone forgot about a lottery ticket, about 5 years ago while on vacation a guy picked up a mega millions ticket that hit the jackpot. He also forgot about the ticket and did not remember it until the last minute. He mailed the ticket to the lottery office on the day it expired, and it the ticket was honored because it was postmarked on the date it was due. (Now to me that was a little bit stupid that he would take that chance with millions of dollars mailing a winning lottery ticket!!) But he was to still able to claim the money! Talk about timing meeting opportunity.
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