Whoever bought the winning Powerball ticket from a Chino Hills, California, 7-Eleven remains a mystery, even to the store's owner.
Balbir Atwal, who made national news last week when the public learned that his store had sold one of the jackpot-winning tickets, said he has no idea who the winner is.
And he can't even look it up. Lottery officials seized the store's security camera footage and other materials that could contain clues about the winner's identity. California Lottery spokesman Russell Lopez said that's standard procedure when somebody wins a big prize.
"We have former cops and investigators on staff," Lopez said. "Its a real complete law enforcement investigation."
Like other types of law enforcement investigations, investigations do not to share materials with the public. Lopez said this is to avoid hoaxes.
Lopez added that investigators don't rely on surveillance camera footage to confirm a winner.
"It's supplemental," Lopez said. "We've seen photos that have been wrong in the past... we don't want to make that mistake again."
Though Atwal would like to know who the winner is as much as anyone else, he had no complaints Wednesday, Jan. 20.
In addition to receiving $1 million for selling one of three jackpot tickets, he said lottery sales at the store have gone up 70-80 percent.
On Wednesday, the store displayed a sign reading "millionaire made here," along with two prize-claiming forms on the doors reading "powerball winner... 528.8 million."
Atwal hopes his own luck will continue.
"This is just the beginning," he said.
They should just come forward and get it over with. The longer you wait the better the chance that something can happen to that ticket. I would not feel safe until it was validated and in my bank account. But if they are assembling a "team" it will take longer because that team wants to be sure their cut is all in place.
They might want to let a lot of time pass to avoid attention but at the same time that would create a lot of anxiety knowing that much money ($528 million) is sitting around not claimed. Even worse if it turned out that someone lost it, or never bothered to check it and never claimed it. Imagine never knowing you even had the winning ticket. But if you do know quit hiding you will be known eventually! Maybe they are going the scared route and getting loans to go into hiding, or maybe they are just rich since they are from CA and FL and are in no hurry. Maybe all of the above.
What happens to the money if it isn't claimed? Does it go back in the pot or is it kept by the lottery?
If the jackpot is not claimed in a multi-state game, the proceeds are sent back to the states in the same proportions of each state's sales that contributed money to the pot. Then each state has their own rules for what is done with unclaimed prize money within the state.
Interesting, thanks Todd!
http://www.flalottery.com/site/powerball-faq.do
"At the end of the winning state's claim period (180 days in Florida), the funds to pay a jackpot that goes unclaimed will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series. In Florida, 80 percent of all unclaimed jackpot prizes are transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund to benefit education in the state. All funds for unclaimed POWERBALL non-jackpot prizes stay in the state where the winning tickets were sold."
Some states give a portion to different organizations and schools etc, and put some of it back into other games.
Standard procedure? I dont think I have heard that before in any of the lottery wins. That is a concern for me and maybe those who want to protect themselves. If the winner doesnt come forward for several months will they pull that tape looking for that person and therefore outs them before they are ready? That was done once in California when they couldnt locate a winner. The tape came out with "if you recognize this person......". Dont know the results of that particular win.
Isn't that the guy who won $1m on the Powerball and then went to Vietnam or something for like 6 months then came back a few days before it expired and then couldn't find the ticket....
May the people who purchase the winning ticket in California are get their affairs in order. Like a change of address within a week, after they claim the money.
The footage could also help remind or let those know they bought the ticket. But I don't know how anyone buys a ticket for a jackpot that big and does not keep track of it. But many are first time or casual players and sometimes forget they even bought it.
"Seized surveillance video?" Welcome to the USSA
I hope that the winner does not live in Chino Hills,CA. Then his/her family members, friends, would have no suspicion that he/she is the winner. His/her name and Chino Hills will be released to the public when he/she validates the ticket at one of the many District Lottery Offices in California.
Since the winner can make plans of what to do when he/she collects on the debt that California now owes him/her. That the California Lottery owes him/her. The winner could increase his/her security now.
I would need either a psychologist or psychiatrist to help me handle the stress of this life changing event.
Nothing creepy about this...
Winner! You have a target on your back. You are on the list of international crime syndicates. But, the good news is you are wealthy enough to defend yourself. Security companies abound and are all over the globe.
Why the rush by the Lottery Organizations? Publicity and money. The LOVE of money is the root of many evils.
Why is Flint, Michigan in the news? Money.
Let's say that the Lottery officials didn't seize the camera video tape of that person who won that Powerball game. Would that tape be there for Lottery officials to pick up one year from now? I don't think so, gone forever. Smart move by Lottery officials.
I like the way you think, claiming prizes "point break style".
Perhaps the California lottery should be in charge of finding the FBI's most wanted?
You still have to have that ticket to cash it in.
i dont recall the whole story just that they pulled the video that showed the person buying and then asked others to help identify him. It is a double edged sword, yes remind or help the buyer but also exposes the person if they wanted to be as anonymous as possible. Cant imagine if I had purchased a ticket I would forget but stranger things have happened. If that had been me, nobody would have to remind me to check my ticket.
Our "LP jackpot collecting experts", when giving their advice forgot to mention the player with the ticket could simply call lottery headquarters. But then there would be no drama,
This is what is written in the CA lottery FAQ section...
**** How long do players have to claim prizes?
Players have 180 days from the date of the POWERBALL® draw to claim prizes, other than the jackpot. The jackpot can be claimed for up to a year from the date of the POWERBALL® draw.
Its only been 7 days, that's right. Seven days and already we reading " surveillance footage seized ".. just what in the world is going on up there in Sacramento? Whatever happened to abiding by your own rules?
Seizing seems a little extreme, why not just ask for the tape politely and make a copy? And they wonder why people don't trust the government. Seeing as this was the biggest jackpot in history I highly doubt anyone was careless or forgot to check their tickets, they are obviously doing the right thing unlike the other idiots that ran to come forward the next day so right off the bat I have much higher hopes for their future.
What if they found out they won and had a heart attack? I sure might have, at that point you assumed you were the only winner. ...... or maybe they're just taking their time ..... goodness it's only been like a week.
"Lottery officials seized the store's security camera footage and other materials that could contain clues about the winner's identity. California Lottery spokesman Russell Lopez said that's standard procedure when somebody wins a big prize."
Does anyone here know if that's standard procedure in all the states, or just California?
" Lottery officials seized the store's security camera footage and other materials that could contain clues about the winner's identity. "
l could understand that move IF 300 days had passed and the lottery desperately wanted the winner to come forward ... but 7 days after the spin? Is it not a course of wisdom to interview a number of tax attorneys, estate planners etc etc before coming forward when the winner is ready as ready gets? Is the winner supposed to have the planning done by this past weekend? Russell better come up with a better answer than this " standard procedure " line of his.
This is big bucks. Cali wants that tax $$$. The winner don't know it but their being hunted.
This is just another example of a reporter who's clueless and/or trying to add a bunch of hype to a meaningless story about a perfectly routine administrative process. Saying the video was "seized" is like having a lawyer tell a jury that you "slammed" into his client's car after you backed into it at 2mph while parking. An accurate description would almost certainly say that somebody from the lottery arrived and politely asked for the video, and the owner, who was expecting them and knew why they were there, happily handed it to them.
Is there anybody here who doesn't think that this is all spelled out clearly in the retailer's agreement that allows them to sell lottery tickets?
The only thing about this story that should be at all surprising is that the story has come out a week after the drawing, suggesting that there's a possibility the lottery didn't pick it up last Thursday.
CA does not tax lottery winnings. There is a State tax, but lottery winnings are exempt from taxation.
I think I would take 3-5 months before contacting the lottery office. That time would be used to shop for legal direction and give me time to adjust to this sudden wealth.