By Todd Northrop
A California Lottery winner lost out on the opportunity to claim his $1 million Powerball prize after he misplaced his ticket.
The man saw news reports about himself buying the ticket in Rosemead and came forward, saying he was the winner, KABC-TV reported. But, he said, he lost his ticket.
Because Powerball rules require the winner to produce the actual winning ticket, he was ineligible to collect his winnings, California Lottery spokesman Alex Traverso said.
"We believe the man who came forward yesterday was the actual guy in the surveillance footage," Traverso said," but unfortunately, in Powerball rules, you have to have a physical ticket to win."
Traverso said they had been searching for the winner of the prize money since the drawing Sept. 13, 2014.
It turns out the only winner will be the California education system.
By law, all unclaimed prize money automatically goes to California public schools.
Lottery officials had tried to identify the man and distributed surveillance video footage in the hopes of finding the winner of the winning lottery ticket worth $1,098,624.
The winning ticket was purchased Sept. 13 at Rosemead Supermarket in the 8800 block of East Valley Boulevard back in September. The ticket had all five numbers (1, 6, 16, 37, and 53), but not the Powerball number 27.
The winner had 180 days to claim the ticket, and Thursday was the last day.
The Rosemead Supermarket was still allowed to collect a $5,493 bonus for selling the winning ticket, officials said.
The California Lottery said nearly $800 million in prize money has gone unclaimed in the organization's 30-year history, with $20 million going unclaimed in the 2013-14 fiscal year.
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Worst Case Scenario = Publicity + No Prize!
don't you just hate when that happens ??
Yikes, that's got to hurt.
But people need to start putting their tickets in safe places and treat them as if they could be worth a lot of money.
True - though no one will be trying to rub up against him for good luck, lol
Perhaps in their search for the winner the store should have added a note. *Unless you have the winning ticket, don't waste your time coming forward.
Sad that everyone knows he bought the winning ticket but PB won't pay him.
WOW that suxs.
That makes things so much worse with them showing the video. They should only put up signs in the store and advertise that a ticket bought at so and so is going to expire. I feel bad for the guy it is bad enough losing the ticket without everyone knowing it.l
wow
I would rather never know it,
in this case ignorance really would be bliss !
So, what happens if your house with the ticket burns down? Or your wallet with the ticket is stolen and the prize never claimed by the thief? Doesnt sound fair.
That will haunt him the rest of his life
Even though it is in california, I wouldn't want to be in that situation either. Dude better tear the place apart looking for the ticket, or start looking for something else and usually what you're looking for will show up.
Wow! What a great loss.
This is worse than playing consistently all your life and never winning. It must hurt like Hell
That's terrible.
It's too late now the deadline has passed.
I can't imagine, it would drive me crazy
I imagine the lottery has the rule to avoid being entangled in litigation with multiple claims over one ticket. Or the do it to screw winners. Maybe both.
How do other states handle it?
Wow. I would be sick to my stomach.
Always check your tickets, simple as that.
That would truly suck! Especially if he works a crappy job he hates going to every morning. It would be a very long time before I'd come out of that depression. POOR GUY! That is awful being known as a person that won a million FINALLY but missed out on the chance to actually get it.
So true! I always check mine very next day and I always put it in an easily accessible place.
The California Lottery could learn a thing or two from the state lottery of Western Australia
Lotterywest Player’s Card - We want to make it easy for you to collect your prize.
A Lotterywest Player’s Card can:
Lost or stolen tickets and Player's Cards
If you lose a ticket you have registered on your Player’s Card, please contact Lotterywest Customer Services as soon as possible. You will need to provide them with your details plus any specific information on when and where you bought your ticket plus what game and type of ticket it was. If the ticket is a winner and providing it hasn’t already been claimed, we can ensure that the winnings are not claimed by anyone else.
If you lose your Player’s Card, please call Lotterywest Customer Services as soon as possible and we will arrange for a new card for you.
From now on when he buys a ticket he should glue it to his forehead until after the draw just to make sure.
First he lost the ticket, then he really lost it!
They know he bought the ticket, by way of the video. Since he came forward, why can't they wait until the day after the deadline, and if no one has come forward with a ticket to claim the prize, give it to him. Remember the case (in Texas?) where a lottery employee was in the video buying the ticket and someone else tried to claim the prize for him? Didn't they end up charging fraud?
It all comes down to the greed of the people running the lottery.
This is awful, but "you snooze you lose." I've been taking my clothes to the dry cleaners for many years and even they tell me "No ticky, no washy." You must present the ticket to claim your item. No exceptions....
A winner becomes an involuntary donor by accident, must be painstaking but a wonderful story to learn from .Winner don't feel bad this lessen is more valuable than monetary value, you will now become the most watchful and careful person in the world. 800 million unclaimed is nothing compared too anyone who could have been a winner buying a ticket after or before a winner, same location, same town. There was a young girl in Florida behind Gloria Mackenzie which the media thought could have been the only winner and another person ahead in line which no one ever mentioned,as if winning have anything to do with being there early. Just being there at the right time is all it takes. He had a ticket lost it same as loosing but a California wining lost is not actually a lost feel great that it went to students.So if you ever win you don't have to donate.
Huh???
Oh well. Easy come, easy go...
Yes, I imagine it to be the coldest possible feeling one can stand. I feel badly or him, because
I imagine it happening to me, some day. But worse than his case, is if I should forget to play, and
my numbers come up.
They should have one of those phone booths you used to see in the mall. Every time you buy a ticket,
the lotto commission should document your purchase with a clear photo, of the buyer.
they should add a rule, if someone comes forward and they're pretty sute its the same person they get an extra year to find the ticket.
also 2 words P L A Y E R C A R D S
Very sad situation. My heart aches for his loss and chronic suffering!
Wow what a heart break to know you had the winning ticket and to miss place it.
This
is why you don't wait to check your ticket
and why you don't wait to claim your prize
He probably knew he had the longest of odds in collecting that money and deep down he knows he only has himself to blame.Come on - you have 6 months to collect...
I've misplaced winning tickets but nothing ever worth more than $10 but even that hurts when you've brought so many tickets worth absolutely nothing.
Apparently as many prizes that unclaimed every year a lot of players do the same thing and never know.
I feel pretty bad for the guy because no one expects to win the lottery (especially powerball) I threw away a ticket that was worth over $2,000 before and I can't even imagine what he must be going thru.
The answer is, play by subscription, I play the Massachusetts Megabucks Doubler, by subscription. If win a jackpot or large prize, they will contact me. The down side is, Massachusetts does not allow winners to remain anonymous. I hope they work on that and change the policy.
Even if he finds the ticket it's already expired.
Looking on the bright side.......
Unclaimed prizes remaining after the claim period expires always go to supporting California’s public schools. As of the end of FY 2013-14, a total of $793.5 million in unclaimed prizes have been awarded to education.
At least the money didn't go to waste!
Which is the reason for lotteries in the first place!