Not looking good for winning ticket bought nearly a year ago
By Kate Northrop
A winning Mega Millions lottery ticket worth $1 million is about to go by the wayside as it approaches the one-year expiration date.
The expiration date for a winning $1 million Mega Millions ticket bought in Michigan is right around the corner, with just one month left for the winner to step forward.
The Michigan Lottery announced on Thursday that time will soon out for the ticket, which was purchased at the CVS Pharmacy on West 10 Mile Road in Southfield nearly a full year ago.
That ticket was valid for the Mega Millions drawing on March 17, 2023, and it matched all five white balls — 26, 28, 29, 39, and 49 — to win the game's second-tier prize of $1 million.
Had it had matched the Mega Ball 25, it would have won the game's $254 million jackpot. That jackpot prize eventually rose to $476 million before being won by one ticket in New York, making it the biggest Mega Millions prize in New York state history.
The Lottery advised the owner of the unclaimed $1 million Mega Millions prize to contact their Player Relations division by phone to schedule an appointment to collect the prize, which can only be claimed at the Lottery's headquarters in Lansing.
Normally, winning Mega Millions tickets in Michigan are valid for one year from the draw date, but since March 17 falls on a Sunday, the prize must be claimed by 4:45 pm on March 15.
The money from the prize will be allocated to the state School Aid Fund if the ticket expires.
The Mega Millions jackpot currently stands at $457 million for the next drawing on Fri., Feb. 16 at 11:00 pm Eastern Time.
Mega Millions is currently offered for sale in 45 states, plus Washington D.C. and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Drawings are Tuesdays and Fridays at 11:00 pm Eastern Time. Tickets cost $2 each.
The Mega Millions winning numbers are published at USA Mega (www.usamega.com) minutes after the drawing takes place.
WHEW! Thanks for reminding me, 😜
Yesterday a $36 million Mega Millions ticket from Jacksonville, FL expired.
Wow! Better not to know you lost out than to know & be filled with self loathing the rest of your life.
Besides the normal loss of a ticket by say going into the laundry basket, or getting misplaced, or losing it in the outdoors - throwing it with other receipts etc.
I think their could be other tragic reasons as well - it's normal for people to die, so probably the ticket buyer died before they could claim it. Conflict with the law, one could be in jail and not aware their ticket was a winner and other reasons that are not necessarily an attribute of carelessness of the purchaser.
I think the loss of winning jackpot tickets far too often. Or MAbye the proportion of lost jackpot tickets is the proper ratio based on the volume of tickets played.
When I scan my tickets, I always get, "Sorry. Not a Winner."
So I know that it wasn't me.
my personal theory: the winner is waiting for their divorce to be finalized so they don't have to split it.
The ticket was likely won during the marriage so divorce would not change anything. You have to disclose all assets, liquid or not.
Shared property.
i sense many of our most prolific posters will never have that problem...
It's probably in their glove compartment or console.