N.C. lottery counts on millions in unclaimed prizes

Comment #11

cps10 — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 18:19:16 GMT

Comment #10

wizeguy — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 16:11:41 GMT

I think it should be 180 days from the announced end of game and not 90 days. For someone who doesn't always play scratchers regularly who looks for end of game announcements. They might have bought the ticket on the 2nd to last day and would have no idea. Ninety days is not enough. Ticket might also have been bought by an out of stater who only makes a few trips a year here and they got tickets on the way out of state.

Comment #9

cps10 — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 15:41:27 GMT

I think a year, two max, would be good...as long as it counts as a short-term liability for the state. To keep a long-term liability on the states balance sheet is too much...they have other fish to fry in the LT Debt section of their B/S.

Comment #8

jeffrey — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 02:01:28 GMT

Some people lose a ticket and then find it too late. Nothing wrong with a long expiration date. Year to 5 years.This would be more reasonable. My father died and his tickets expired before I could find them. My brother was sick in the hospital before he died for a year and he had several winners that had expired. Easy to say it is reasonable and completely fair but really for who? Once again, too hard to win to lose due to death, illness or a misplaced ticket.

Comment #7

fxsterling — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 23:28:45 GMT

back in the early days you had 180 days but the last day of the year they had a unclimed prize jackpot THIS was IL lotto about 1980 think they should bring it back

Comment #6

Todd — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 21:02:45 GMT

I personally think that in order for the state lotteries to be able to run an effective business, they need to have reasonable expiration dates. It would be very difficult for them to run a budget if there were millions of dollars of old prizes on the books, several years old.

However, I think a more reasonable expiration would be one year from the drawing date, rather than 180 days.

Comment #5

lmatlaw — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 20:22:35 GMT

The expiration deadlines are completely fair. They are publicized and are reasonable. If someone who has a winning ticket can't be responsible enough to check it I have no pity for them. Why did they play in the first place

Comment #4

jeffrey — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 19:07:07 GMT

There should be no expiration date. Hard enough to win. Don't cheat them out of the money.

Comment #3

LuckyGirl21 — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 19:04:15 GMT

I wish it was mine also........................but alas it is not. I guess the old saying is true ya snooze ya loose and whoever has that ticket ya better...........WAKE UP!!!!!!!!! CLAIM IT.

Comment #2

bellyache — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 18:17:26 GMT

I hope someone claims it before it expires.

Comment #1

DoubleDown — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 15:52:41 GMT

It ain't mine but I wish it was.....

DD

N.C. lottery counts on millions in unclaimed prizes

Lottery Post — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 15:34:27 GMT

The first night North Carolina residents could take part in the multistate Powerball lottery game, someone hit a $200,000 winner.

More than 11 weeks later, no one has claimed the prize.

It's a little-known fact that lottery games across the country keep millions of dollars in winnings are never claimed. The industry norm is that about 1 percent to 2 percent of prizes somehow fall through the cracks.

North Carolina lottery officials expect almost $9 million in lottery winnings will go un... [ More ]