LUCK RUNS OUT
I was days away from losing my $100,000 lottery win – now $25,000 a year for life prize winner faces the same fate
The winner defied odds of one in more than 300,000 to win the prize
A LUCKY lottery player scooped his $100,000 fortune – just days before his prize was due to expire.
Michael Curtin hit the jackpot when he matched all five numbers on the Massachusetts lottery game.
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He avoided losing the Mass Cash prize by two weeks, but lotto chiefs in the state that another prize runs the risk of going unclaimed, per the Fox affiliate WFXT-TV.
Curtin claimed the money 14 days before it was about to expire.
He revealed that he wants to use his newfound wealth to buy a new car.
Curtin defied odds of around one in 324,632 to win the big amount, per Mass Lottery.
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Prizes on the game range from $10 to the $100,000 jackpot.
Lotto players have around a one in 72 chance of winning a particular prize.
Lotto officials are hunting for a winning ticket holder from a draw that dates back to May 2023.
They run the risk of losing a prize that’s worth $25,000 a year for life.
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They have until May 17 to come forward and claim the prize
Legal experts have revealed what lotto players should do if they land the jackpot.
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Attorneys at the Phillips, Hunt, and Walker Law Firm offered six tips to potential winners.
Tickets should be put in a safe place that is both waterproof and fireproof.
Winners should also resist the temptation to boast about their success on social media.
But lawyers don’t say winners should never talk about their newfound wealth.
“Bragging can come after it’s claimed,” they warned.
Top lottery winners in the US
Millions dream of winning the lottery and finding fame and fortune. These are the biggest winners in US lottery history.
- Edwin Castro - $2.04 billion, Powerball, Nov. 8, 2022, in California.
- Theodorus Struyck - $1.765 billion, Powerball, Oct. 11, 2023, in California.
- Unknown winner - $1.602 billion, Mega Millions, Aug. 8, 2023, in Florida.
- Marvin and Mae Acosta from Los Angeles, California, John and Lisa Robinson from Munford, Tennessee, and Maureen Smith and David Kaltschmidt from Melbourne Beach, Florida - $1.586 billion, Powerball, Jan. 13, 2016.
- Unknown winner - $1.537 billion, Mega Millions, Oct. 23, 2018, from South Carolina.
- Unknown winner - he sued the mother of his child to keep his identity hidden - $1.348 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 13, 2023, from Maine.
- Unknown winner - $1.337 billion, Mega Millions, July 29, 2022, from Illinois.
- Unknown winner - $1.326 billion, Powerball, April 7, 2024, from Oregon.
- Yanira Alvarez - $1.08 billion Powerball, July 19, 2023 in California.
- Wolverine FLL Lottery Club - $1.05 billion, Mega Millions, Jan. 22, 2021, from Michigan.
- Unknown winner - $842.4 million Powerball, Jan. 1, 2024, from Michigan.
Winners should also sound their ticket and think about hiring an attorney.
Characteristics of a good lawyer include someone trustworthy and will help protect winners.
“Think seriously about putting a wall around yourself and your newfound riches,” lawyers have warned.
They have also stressed the importance of making good decisions within months of claiming the prize.
Lawyers warned that it will set a precedent for the long term.
“You don’t want to just be rich. You want to have wealth,” they said.
Lotto winners that scoop millions of dollars are often faced with the conundrum of how to claim their prize.
They can either take the lump sum option or choose to receive payments in installments.
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Jared James, the founder of the lotto algorithm Lotto Edge, previously told The U.S. Sun that winners should take the annuity option.
Experts have warned that winners who take the lump sum face being hit with hefty federal and possible state taxes.