Powerball winner possibly unaware of $1 million fortune

By Kate Northrop

Someone in Texas purchased a Powerball ticket earlier this year and won the $1 million second-tier prize, but no one has come forward to claim it.

The owner of a winning $1 million Powerball ticket has to come forward to claim it within the next three weeks or risk losing it entirely.

Last week, the Texas Lottery published an announcement warning players about the approaching Aug. 1 deadline. However, the claim must be made by July 31 at 5 p.m. local time due to weekend Lottery office closures.

The ticket was purchased for the Feb. 2 drawing at the Circle K convenience store at 6107 West Parmer Lane in Austin. Now's the time for players to check their stash of tickets for any stragglers that may have gone missing.

It matched the first five white ball numbers in the draw, which were 3, 8, 31, 60, and 65, but missed the red Powerball number 4 to win the $69.9 million jackpot.

If the winner does come forward, they have two claim options: claiming in-person at a Lottery claim center and claiming by mail.

For claiming in-person, the player must do so by Friday, July 31 at 5:00 p.m. local time. If claiming by mail, the ticket, along with a claim form, must be postmarked on or prior to Aug. 1 to the Texas Lottery Claim Center in Austin.

The Lottery advises that mail-in claims may take up to four weeks to be processed.

If the deadline passes without a winner stepping forward, the prize is forfeited. Players in Texas have 180 days from the draw date to claim prizes. Unclaimed winnings are funneled back to the state for programs authorized by Texas Legislature.

The claims deadline may be extended for a period of time for certain eligible military personnel, the Lottery said.