Winner doesn't come forward with jackpot-winning ticket
By Kate Northrop
A $1.09 million Colorado Lotto+ jackpot will fade away now that the claims deadline has passed without a winner stepping forward.
Whoever had the winning ticket for the $1.09 million Colorado Lotto+ jackpot has lost their chance at claiming the prize.
On March 28, someone purchased a Colorado Lotto+ ticket at the Conoco convenience store on North 1st Street in Berthoud. As of the ticket's expiration last week, it's possible the winner is blissfully unaware that the ticket had won a million-dollar jackpot.
It matched all six numbers in that evening's drawing — 3, 11, 22, 23, 30, and 31 — to win the prize, valued at $1,090,202.
The winner officially lost their chance to claim a nice sum of money at 4:45 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 24.
Winners in Colorado have 180 days from the draw date to claim prizes on winning tickets.
The prize money will now be funneled to the state's beneficiary funds, including Great Outdoors Colorado, the Conservation Trust Fund, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
"The Lottery wants every winner to claim their prize and enjoy their winnings, and we remind players regularly to check their tickets," a Colorado Lottery spokesperson told FOX31 in an email.
The Colorado Lotto+ jackpot currently stands at $2.4 million for the next drawing on Monday, Sept. 28. Drawings take place every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 7:36 pm Mountain Time, and tickets cost $2 each. All winning numbers, prizes, and odds are published on Lottery Post's Colorado Lottery Results page right after each drawing.
For an extra $1 per play, players may add the Plus option to their ticket, which enters their numbers into an additional drawing conducted immediately after the Colorado Lotto+ drawing. Matching all six numbers in the second drawing will net a $250,000 Plus jackpot. Any other lesser prize amounts ranging from $3 to $250 are multiplied by the multiplier amount shown on the ticket.
The odds of matching all six numbers to win the Colorado Lotto+ jackpot are 1 in 3,838,380.
Thanks to Mwatcher for the tip.
WOW!!!. That really hurts. Is it carelessness or fate and destiny all rolled into one?
Probably somebody passing through on vacation.
Another $Million dollar ticket down the drain ?? How do people continuously go down this road with a document that can be life changing?
Todd, how about comprising a running tally list of all the expired tickets with $1 million dollar + jackpots that have not been cashed over the last 10 - 20 years?? Similar to the list of the top 25 highest jackpots.
Another ticket expiration scheme like what Arizona Lottery does. They create a ticket for their big lottery games then they purposely allow it to expire so they can keep the money for rogue state officials.
How much ya wanna bet that the gov. agencies that get the funds -
Great Outdoors Colorado, the Conservation Trust Fund, and Colorado Parks and Wildlife.
later this year or next year will 'bonus' the ceo's and other 'management' employees for doing such a great job in funding. Thus the money will go to management and maybe a tiny bit will go to the actual 'fund'.
Geez do you have to be so negative?
Government agencies don't have a CEO.
It would be nice if the lottery put the unclaimed prize into the current jackpot, but benefiting the great outdoors is fine as well.
Why doesn't the Colorado Lottery just extend the cash-in window to a year?
A lot of other states do it.
What's the rush? Do they really need the money that bad?
I realize this is just $1M prize but still, 180 days doesn't seem long enough.
Guess I'm just used to living in Canada
It's so easy to check the numbers these days I don't see how this happens. I always check my tickets after the drawing. Others need to do the same.