Over 70 other prizes valued at $1,000 and above unclaimed
By Kate Northrop
Mega Millions lottery players in Iowa should rifle through their drawers if they think they bought a ticket in Ames last year, as there are just two weeks left on the clock to claim a $1 million Mega Millions prize.
Time is ticking to collect a $1 million Mega Millions prize in Iowa, and it'll soon expire if no one steps forward to claim it.
Last September, someone in Ames bought a Mega Millions ticket at the Gateway Express on University Boulevard for the drawing on Sept. 6, 2022 that won a million dollars. The ticket matched the first five white ball numbers — 6, 17, 46, 59, and 68 — but missed the Mega Ball 2 to win the then-$191 million jackpot.
For drawings taking place on or before April 22, 2023, lottery players in Iowa have 365 days from the draw date to claim prizes from Mega Millions, Powerball, Lucky for Life, and Lotto America, and on Sept. 6, 2023, that million-dollar prize will go out the window.
More specifically, money from unclaimed prizes in Iowa goes into the lottery's prize pools for future games and promotions, according to the Iowa Lottery.
Each year in the state, about $1 million to $2 million in lottery prizes go unclaimed, according to Iowa Lottery Vice President of External Relations Mary Neubauer.
2019 marked a year of unclaimed winnings on the higher end of the spectrum, clocking in at $2,574,011 in expired winnings. That year, the Lottery decided to hold another drawing for one expired prize worth $1 million when no one came forward to claim it.
It was called the "Woo Hoo a Million for You Giveaway," and for the three-week duration of the promotion, any Powerball ticket purchased in Iowa was eligible to win. Out of 165,265 entries, a group of co-workers from Cedar Rapids won the $1 million prize.
There are currently over 70 unclaimed lottery prizes in Iowa valued at $1,000 and over, including a $150,000 Powerball prize from a ticket bought at Floyd Food & Fuel on Floyd Boulevard in Sioux City that will expire in October, and another $150,000 Powerball prize from a ticket bought at Hy-Vee C-Store on Park Street in Sheldon that will expire in November. Those winners may claim their prizes at any of the Lottery's offices in Clive, Storm Lake, Mason City, or Cedar Rapids.
If there is a chance the owner of the $1 million Mega Millions ticket bought in Ames will step forward within the next two weeks, they must do so at Lottery headquarters in Clive.
Iowa players should also note that, following April 23, 2023, prizes for Mega Millions, Powerball, Lucky for Life, and Lotto America will have to be claimed within 180 days of the draw date.
Winners have up to 90 days from the draw date to claim prizes in the Iowa Lottery's Pick 3, Pick 4, and InstaPlay games, but the winner has until the close of business on the next business day if the expiration date falls on a weekend or holiday when Lottery offices are closed.
Why play the lottery if you're not going to cash the ticket?
Just makes me wonder - I scan and save my tickets on the lottery app the moment I buy them. If it's a win I get a notification. Why would I be playing if the intention is not to get my winnings.
it's lost in a corn maze.
The most disturbing thing is that this happens way too frequently
I have had coworkers tell me they do not look at their tickets when they hear where the jp was won. These people very rarely play the lottery. I have explained the other prizes but there is no excuse for highly educated people not to exercise basic due diligence here.
this is why i stay uneducated. that way i have a good excuse for never doing my due diligence, whatever that is. (is it some kind of vegetable?)
Lol. Yes. It is a vegetable and I get paid to cultivate it.
* That's an excellent question TN, l can't think of a logical answer, believe you me, l tried.
he left it in his pocket and washed those pants the next day.
Indeed,
Also some other reasons...
1-It could have been carefully hidden in someone's wallet that was stolen with $$$ inside.
The thief took the cash and got rid of the wallet.
2-It could have flown out of the car if it was left on the dashboard with windows down.
3-The person that purchased that ticket could be in jail and the ticket is in a drawer at home somewhere.
4-Early Onset Dementia set in.
5-The person with the ticket was on their way to cash in with the ticket in hand.
They were struck by a car just outside the lottery office and are either in a coma or they died.
The ticket blew away when they lost consciousness.
Since it's somewhere in Iowa, someone should be checking the cornfields for any Mega Millions ticket...
Notice the super short 90 day claim period on Iowa Lottery's Pick 3, Pick 4, and InstaPlay.
And notice the Iowa lottery shysters recently shortened the claim period for their other lottos from 1 year to 1/2 year. Terrible.
the year 2049: iowa lottery claim period has been shortened to 30 minutes. iowa lottery reports record profits of $8237423489327893
Still amazes me that when you purchase the only legal document for a chance at winning $191,000,000.00 that you don't take better care of it & place that ticket in a specific location...While I have never found a purchased ticket, for a future drawing, on the ground inside/outside of a store. I do look at the ones dropped, Just in case. Especially in convenience store parking lots or at the gas pumps.
Good for Iowa! Not only has Michigan lowered their payout percentage from 65% to 60% but Michigan has always pocketed unclaimed prizes for the state. I don't know how many states just pocket them for themselves but at least Iowa doesn't.
Me too. My tix go in my wallet or my playslip holder, then into my desk drawer at home.
People that can't be bothered to check their tix, or lose them don't deserve to collect the $$$ if they win.
My time is due. I'll probably put into the lottery since year 2000 playing with several lottery groups and playing on my own from Powerball, Mega million and scratch offs an estimate $30,000. During those 23 years I've only won small prizes of several $50 winners along the way and and only $100 twice. I never won a top prize on any scratch offs off $1 million or $500,000 or $10,000. I have never even won $500 prize on scratch offs or national lottery 😢. It's very hard to win and these folks are very lucky. The house truly always win. I play everyday and play all levels of scratch offs from $50 to $10 scratchers and even $5 or $2 levels and i have no luck for larger prizes. It's truly controlled and very well strategize for where the winners to be released. It's not pure random and luck. So tred lightly. They know what they're doing. Ill just be happy to get my money back what i put in over the last 20 plus years. If i even get 100k back ill be happy with that and take it and run and then im done. 💯
This is why lots of players stick to pick 3. The odds are ok, the payouts are ok. Big jackpot games are fun once in a while but playing them every drawing rain or shine is equivalent to flushing money down the toilet.
Gotta ask, why are you playing every day?
In Ohio actual spot Columbus Ohio to be exact which is the capital of Ohio but the city Cleveland or northeast Ohio areas when all the major jackpots in ohio on scratch offs and including several huge powerballs or mega millions through the years. We just had that huge powerball here in Ohio won in the suburbs of Cleveland area or region at the get go gas station. Then several years ago it was another one won in northern Ohio. Ironically Cleveland is the headquarters lottery located at where you go claim your winnings. So I definitely see a pattern. By the Columbus has the most population of people out of the state and more people play here 🤷🏾♂️
I don't know whether to say am sorry that you've never won a huge prize.
I have equally never won a huge prize, most I have won in a single draw is $25. However I play for the fun and the chance.
I don't leave the house to solely go and buy a ticket, I only buy when am out and about doing other things.
I prefer to believe that winning is all based on luck, very hard luck. Given the millions of tickets that get bought, both QP and self selected. It's extremely hard to dictate where a winner should come from.
I think what's important is also knowing when to call it a day. When to say enough is enough, I gave it a shot and here we are.
".......but playing them every drawing rain or shine is equivalent to flushing money down the toilet."
I am tempted to say the same thing for smokers and drinkers - but I will just let them enjoy their preferred pass time 🤣🤣
When am playing jackpot games, I have my eyes fixed on the lower tier prizes, like 5K, 10K, 50K etc because the odds of winning are better - but not solely the jackpot.
I think people who play "Just the jackpot" in states that allow that, perfectly for the "flushing money down the toilet" description given the odds.
But again to each their own 😁
I wish you luck.
Exactly, I do the same. A few weeks ago I found a crumbled up Mega Millions ticket on the floor of my local grocery store. I picked it up and noticed the red ball number of 12 was part of the winning number from one of the earlier draws. Sure enough, the winning ticket was worth $8. I think what happens is so many new players have no idea what the rules of MM and PB are. They buy tickets and check the numbers and if ALL six numbers do not match they will throw the ticket away. They don't know they can win smaller prizes with matching less than six numbers.
All to often people, who have never played the lottery buy tickets for the MM and PB. These people don't know the rules of the game. They will check their tickets to see if they are winners. If ALL of their numbers do not match the winning numbers they will throw the tickets away. They do not know that there are smaller prizes to be won by matching less numbers. I find discarded lottery tickets in the parking lot, grocery store, etc. which have been winners of smaller prizes, nothing big yet. A few weeks ago I found a crumbled up Mega Millions ticket on the floor of my local grocery store. I picked the ticket up and noticed the red ball number of 12 was part of the winning number for a draw weeks ago. Sure enough, the ticket was a winner for $8. I smile thinking about the day I find a discarded ticket worth 1 million dollars.
What we dont know is if the ticket was "lost" or misplaced. Either way that's just pathetic in and of itself. It's even stupider if they "checked it" but it found its way into a trash can for whatever reason.
There are smart phone app's and ticket scanners available everywhere... makes it so easy to check a ticket...NEVER trust your own two eyes. I know someone that scanned (with his smartphone) what he at first thought was a "loser" scratch off and won $500. G5
I don't think a lot of players calculate odds in their number choices. I mostly stick to pick 3,4 and 5 games, which has the best chances to win
I don't think playing the lottery regularly is the same as being an everyday smoker and or drinker. The substance vices are detrimental to your health.
Because they are not aware of the secondary prizes. They buy a ticket or two and hear that it got hit in California and that is the end of it for them. No need to check the ticket if I didn't win is the perception of inexperienced players.
Just imagine if they found the ticket....a day too late.
Exactly. I have heard this excuse too many times. You mean there are prizes other than the jp? People like that deserve to lose.
a lot dont know below the PB jackpot the 2nd to 8th place prizes are fixed amount (except in California), for example 7/19/23 drawing had 36 second-place winners they each got 1 million. btw this was the most recent 1.08 billion jackpot drawing.
Not enough to stir their interest. They played because it was a billion dollars or more. That is what they wanted. They didn't even know what power play is so that didn't get played. A million is about 1/1000th of a billion. Didn't know about those prizes and didn't care. I want that billion only.
the lottery has a video of the person, why not post it in the store for some one who may reconize the person and let them know, sounds like the lottery is not honest
Sounds noble. However, it is not the lottery's job to hunt down winners, even million dollar winners. Lotteries do put notices of major wins about to expire. Before people start accusing lotteries of cheating people, remember that if a person walks into a store (or goes online) and spends money on a ticket, it's that person's job/responsibility to check their own ticket. It takes all of 60 seconds to look online.
If a player can't be bothered to do that, tough. Don't buy a ticket.
Eddie Tipton where are you?
Reminds me of a high heeled lady playing scratch tickets here, ATM right next to the lottery machine as I patiently waited my turn. Finally she left, scanned her tickets and there was a $200 winner in the trash!
There are a few high heeled folks in the Saddlebred Capital of the World where I live. One family owns four well known resorts...hint hint first one in Nashville; now one in DC, Colorado and Florida. About 10 years ago she got tired of fooling around with attorneys who were for and against a 1200 home development. She wrote and check for $7 million. Just two weeks ago she donated 115 acres to Simpsonville no doubt forbidding forever per KY state law that anything be built on it. She is very nice and lives what locals call the White House of the South 2.5 miles from me.
I do agree with you that playing "Just the Jackpot" is throwing money down the toilet. Virginia has Just the Jackpot for Mega Millions. Unfortunately it seems enough people only care about the jackpot and not enough about the lower prizes of $1M, 10K, $500, $200, $10, $4, $2 for the lottery to put this option in play.
I find that hard to believe. While it is true some diss the lower prizes and do not even bother to cash them they still could if they so desired to.
Actually, the statement that "Virginia has Just the Jackpot for Mega Millions" is false. Virginia has 2nd to 8th place fixed prizes. All participating states have 2nd to 8th place prizes but in a couple of states it's not a fixed number it's whatever the winning total is, it's divided among the winners. For example, let's say in California the 2nd place prize is 2 million dollars if 10 people win in that state. they each get 200k
Rcb, it boils down to being lazy or irresponsible(sometimes both). Lack of ticket security on the players part should never require a safety net on the lottery's part. If any person becomes that careless with a ticket, they were never destined to have the financial rewards anyway.
No, you misunderstood my post. The Virginia lottery has an option called for Mega Millions called "Just the Jackpot" where a player can CHOOSE to just to play for the jackpot and NOTHING ELSE, which means THEY don't want any of the lower prizes. On the bottom of the play slip, there is an option that says (NEW) "play for the jackpot only!"Obviously you don't play Virginia lottery and have never seen their play slip before.
Yes, they do. It is an odd offer but you can get 2 just the jackpot tickets for 3.00 instead of the usual 4.00 by waiving all rights to any lower tiered prized. I do not even want the jackpot when I play so that wouldn't be for me. So I don't play that for that reason.
no buddy. You clearly said "Virginia has Just the Jackpot for Mega Millions" which they do not! vs. Virginia has a jackpot-only option, as well as the other prizes! Then after you are called out on it,
then you go into an accurate description! and try and spin it into a "misunderstanding"
It sounded so incredulous that I didn't bother to verify my claim. Still find it an odd offer by a lottery. You weren't blowing smoke.
what's even stranger, he answers my response to you, as if I responded to him initially!
you did misunderstand his post, and you look like the idiot here.