One couple found a $1M Powerball ticket months after the drawing, between the seats of the family car and it reminds players to always keep track of their tickets.
Most anybody loves a clean car.
But imagine digging between the seats of your automobile and finding a winning Powerball ticket worth more than one million dollars.
That's what happened to an Indiana couple over the holidays last year. The couple, who have asked to remain anonymous, hails from the Fort Wayne area. The couple’s car was parked in a small town north of the city when they decided to search the vehicle for the ticket that they ultimately did find and cash in. This is a Powerball winner story that reminds players to remember where they put those tickets and to always check the winning numbers.
Christmas day fortune
The couple was prompted to conduct the search after listening to news coverage of an unclaimed Powerball ticket. The couple remembered frequenting a convenience store that fit the description of the seller of the missing ticket: They just weren't sure that the ticket was their own.
It was Christmas morning, and as the deadline for claiming the ticket neared, the couple decided they should probably check their recently purchased ticket. But neither could remember where they put the ticket.
Searching high and low, they thought of thoroughly searching their car. What did they have to lose?
Santa was good to them that year. After going through the car and digging between the seats, the couple learned they had the winning Powerball ticket with only hours to spare. They hightailed it to the Hoosier Lottery Prize Payment Office in downtown Indianapolis, where they realized their Powerball dreams and became $1M richer.
Unclaimed tickets amount to billions
More than $3 billion in winnings go unclaimed every year across the U.S., according to Casino.org. The tickets themselves are typically of small value, the website says, but with 45 out of 50 states holding various lotteries, the unclaimed winnings still add up quickly.
Down south, a Powerball jackpot worth $77 million in 2011 was not redeemed in Georgia before the ticket became outdated. Two years later, a $50 million Powerball ticket sold in Florida but also wound up worthless.
What happens to unclaimed winnings?
Unredeemed winnings are returned to the state lotteries themselves, as in states that contributed to the pot, sources say. In some cases, states take those grand prize funds and apply them to their own programs, often supporting public education or other state programs.
Alternatively, online Powerball ticket sales may offer some protection to players. With online ticket sales, small wins may be automatically credited or stored for the player.
Best practice for Powerball players
Whenever you play Powerball, there are a few steps to take to make sure your winning ticket doesn’t end up going unclaimed. It starts by checking with your state to see what the timelines are for coming forward to claim a prize. Each state outlines its own expiration, some spanning a few months with others a few years.
Then, when you buy a Powerball ticket, be sure to:
- Make copies of both sides.
- Sign your ticket.
- Store your ticket in a safe, easy-to-remember location.
- Set reminders to check the winning numbers for your drawing.
- Enable Powerball drawing alerts on your phone.
- Doublecheck old tickets at any local authorized Powerball retailer.
Create your own system when playing Powerball
Monitor news events and public service announcements for updates about unclaimed tickets. That winning Powerball ticket could be yours. Powerball has its own media updates and winning number announcements online. You can always bookmark the Powerball page and check in when you play.
As you play Powerball, develop a personal system for keeping track of any Powerball tickets that you purchase so you don't wind up searching your motor vehicle with the deadline for redemption looming. You may not get lucky twice!