Florida Lottery: $9 million Florida Lotto winner sought
If you happened to buy a Lotto ticket this week at a Publix off Wiles Road in Coral Springs, Florida, you may be a millionaire -- times nine.
So far, no one has come forward with the winning Quick Pick ticket from the Wednesday drawing, lottery officials say.
The winner will have 180 days from the day of the drawing to claim the $9 million prize, and only 60 days if they want their money in a lump sum, said Leslie Steele, spokeswoman for the Florida Lottery.
"They haven't come in to claim it yet," Steele said.
The ticket, with the winning numbers 6-9-22-31-44-49, was purchased at the Publix at 10701 Wiles Road in Coral Springs.
This was the first winning Lotto ticket sold in Coral Springs, Steele said.
The odds of someone not claiming a Lotto prize, where the odds are 23 million to 1, are slim. Nonetheless, it does happen.
Twenty-one winning Lotto tickets have gone unclaimed in the Florida Lottery's 15-year history, Steele said.
Many other winners simply take a little time to digest the news and map out their financial future.
"People sometimes take time to seek the advice of financial advisers or attorneys," Steele said. "It's not uncommon for winners to wait until the 180-day period is up."
The winning Lotto ticket must be redeemed at Lottery Headquarters in Tallahassee.
There was more than one lucky winner in the Aug. 18 drawing, where more than 80,000 players won smaller prizes. A total of 65 tickets matched five numbers to win $5,157.50; 3,990 tickets matched four numbers for $68; and 79,785 tickets matched three numbers for $4.50.