$122,000,000 In Lottery Prizes Go Unclaimed

Comment #3

konane — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:21:35 GMT

Likely many of us would walk to Florida from our respective locations for THAT much money!!! Hope someone checks their tickets before they expire.

Comment #2

justxploring — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 14:57:00 GMT

<br />The fact that March is the month when many jackpots go unclaimed isn't surprising to me at all. One reason is because Feb & Mar are the busiest months. I don't have the statistics, but in many coastal areas and retirement communities where retirees spend a few months each year, the population doubles. In wealthy beach communities like Marco Island, only 40-50% of homeowners are residents full-time. When I lived on Sanibel Island in the mid 1990s it increased from around 3,000 in the su... [ More ]

Comment #1

DrannyMa7 — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:57:56 GMT

It's the Leprechauns....they want their gold back in March. LOL!

Original Blog Entry: $122,000,000 In Lottery Prizes Go Unclaimed

truesee — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 09:53:13 GMT

Unclaimed Lotto Money

Associated Press

Published: March 14 2008 - 11:39 am

Last Updated: March 14 2008 - 11:41 am

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - The Florida Lottery has made a lot of millionaires - some who don't even know it.

The Lottery says nearly $122 million in prizes have gone unclaimed since the games started in 1988. Winners have six months

to claim prizes.

The largest unclaimed payout was a $50 million Lotto ticket sold in a South Florida market in 2003.

The rest of the five largest unclaimed jackpots aren't chump change either - ranging between $10-$20 million.

Most of the unclaimed winnings benefit state schools. The rest goes back into the lottery till.

March seems to be the month when luck develops amnesia. Tickets for three of Florida's largest unclaimed jackpots - a combined $85 million - were sold in March.

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