PRIZE POT
Lottery warning to check Powerball tickets as $500,000 jackpot remains unclaimed – and it was bought at a gas station
Plus, other unclaimed prizes expiring soon
SOMEONE in Iowa won $500,000 in the lottery and has no idea as their prize remains unclaimed.
The lottery ticket was bought in Mason City, which is about two hours north of Des Moines.
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The Powerball player picked up the ticket at a Kwik Star gas station, and their winning numbers were drawn on March 16.
According to the state lottery, the prize expires on September 12.
Several other unclaimed prizes in the state are expiring sooner.
Last year, on November 3, a $2,000 Mega Millions prize was won, and the winner has until May 1 to claim the cash.
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A few days later, on November 6, another prize of $1,000 from the Lotto America game was won, and it expires on May 6.
ACT FAST
Meanwhile, in Massachusetts, time is running out for a winner to claim $25,000 per year for life.
The win came from a Lucky for Life drawing on May 17 last year.
Winners have a strict one-year deadline to collect their prize, meaning there is less than a month left for the player to step forward.
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The winning ticket was purchased at the J Convenience Store & Laundromat in Natick, about 24 miles southwest of Boston.
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It had the winning numbers of 15-22-28-29-41 and 6 for the Lucky Ball.
Christian Teja, a spokesperson for the state lottery, said unclaimed prizes of this amount usually occur at least five to seven times a year.
"Sometimes, people are aware they have won — they just haven't gotten to claiming the prize," he said.
"Other times, people just don't realize it, and it's these kinds of public notices from us that make them aware they've won."
He told local news outlet Telegram & Gazette that announcements from the lottery about unclaimed prizes are often successful in connecting winners with their cash.
"We've seen a pretty high success rate with getting prizes claimed when we make these announcements," Teja continued.
Prizes that expire before being claimed are distributed throughout the Commonwealth to cities and towns.
Playing the lottery is fun, but it does come with inherent risks.
If you or someone you know has signs of gambling addiction, call the National Gambling Hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling website.
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A lottery player who actually claimed their $1 million prize but only got half of that amount after making a difficult choice.
Plus, see how a winner scooped a $100,000 prize just days before it expired.
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.