BOISE, Idaho — With the recent $650 million Mega Millions jackpot a lot of us started dreaming about what we'd do with all that money. But every year in Idaho some people just need to wake up to realize that they are winners. For whatever reason, they never claim their prizes. That unclaimed money really adds up.
"Over the last two years we've had about $6 million go unclaimed from lottery tickets," said Idaho Lottery spokesman David Workman. That total comes from scratch tickets and all the different games where the balls drop.
In fiscal year 2010 nearly $3.7 million worth of prizes went unclaimed. In 2011 the total was almost $2.3 million.
Those unclaimed prizes range from $1 all the way up to $1 million.
A million dollar ticket sold in Eastern Idaho two years ago went unclaimed. "You know it's kind of a mystery to us," said Workman. "We never really heard any good news or anything about that ticket."
It's also a mystery why so many tickets go unclaimed. Maybe a lot of them get lost or laundered. Workman also thinks some people just may not understand the rules.
"Sometimes it's a little bit of player error," said Workman. "A lot of times though we would suspect that it's probably just people who haven't taken the opportunity to take that ticket to the retailer and have them check it to see if it's a winner."
You have 180 days to claim your prize. If you miss the deadline you lose, but public school kids across the state win. "Exactly. It's public education all the way around," said Workman. "That money ends up going to benefit Idaho public schools and the permanent building fund."
So, it's obvious. Millions in unclaimed prizes is a huge issue in Idaho.
For a solution we called in lottery expert Anna Pearl Rowell of Caldwell. We first met Anna Pearl in 2007 when she won her 5th Idaho Lottery prize. It was $110,000. Over the years she has also won a full-size Pac-Man video game machine, a pick-up truck, $1,500 and $15,000.
She knows what she's talking about. So here's her sage advice, her straightforward tip, her Anna Pearl "pearl of wisdom" to make sure you know whether your ticket is a winner or loser.
"Keep track of it. Don't run it through the washing machine, and do check your tickets," said lottery expert Anna Pearl Rowell.
Check your tickets... simply brilliant and brilliantly simple. And the best way to check them is to take them to a store that sells lottery tickets.
Another really easy way to check your lottery tickets is at Lottery Post's Idaho Lottery Results page — it's easy to use and free.
GiGi & HoLeeKau check your tickets!!!!!!
Play to Win/Check to Collect!!!
try to keep track of all the lottery games and tickets you buy
You have 180 days to claim your prize. If you miss the deadline you lose,
Remember that the 180 days begins after the scratch off game closes and 180 days after the drawing date on the lotto tickets.
I remember calling when TX first started their lottery asking how do they know when a ticket has expired. The response I recieved was hesitant and I was told, "cash your tickets."
Once I started spending time at the TX lottery website reading, I learned about the 180 days and other things that the average lottery player is not aware of.
It's not me. Sad to say, I always check my tickets and check 'em twice.
Seriously, what is wrong with Idahoans!!!!
That's just crazy. Crazy fool business.
I would love to see the numbers by state. We may all be surprized ith how many millions go unclaimed!
My state has made it virtually idiot proof for you to know if you have won or not. There are scanners at the stores that tell you if you won or lost on the draw tickets like MM or Powerball and if you join the lottery site online you can enter both draw and instant tickets into it for points and if the ticket is not a winner it will not let you enter it.
I don't understand how someone can spend their hard earned money in obviously an attempt to win money and then not bother to check or be more careful with their tickets.
Hey Venom, we have that in Idaho too. I always scan my tickets at a store before I throw them out. "Just in case". And we have the web site with the thingamabobber to enter your ticket numbers.
So there's no excuse for the careless Idahoans throwing their money away.
I was hoping you were holding on to one of those tickets GG.....
Yeah... that woulda been cooool. "LOOK! LOOK WHAT I FOUND IN THE KITTY LITTER BOX!!! The kitties were hiding it the whole time!!!"
Well I have to claim guilty of many uncashed tickets for instants. All of them are either free tickets or 2$ winners. Normally this happens when the seasons change and I will play a scratch off see its only a buck or 2 then stick it in my coat pocket and drive off. Weather changes coat goes in closet and the next season I find an old expired ticket.
Not a million like that lady tossed out and somehow found it in a horrid judges ruling.
After getting used to buying and not winning for years, your enthusiasm starts to fade.
When your enthusiasm starts to fade, you stop checking your tickets instantly.
When you stop checking your tickets instantly, sometimes you forget where you hide them.
When you sometimes forget where you hide them, time flies by before you search for them.
When time flies by before you search for them, you end up with expired winner.
I think Maringoman has provided the answer to this phenomenon.
"And the best way to check them is to take them to a store that sells lottery tickets."
I don't agree with that part unless you self-check them at the store.
I bet the winnings stolen by clerks exceeds the unclaimed winnings.
You shouldn't give a ticket to a clerk unless you already know what you've won and have signed the ticket first.
I'm available to receive these unclaimed monies!
Because some people receive tickets as gifts.
Totally. At our stores we have those self-check scanners that make a really loud "WHA-HOOO!" scream (or something like that) when the ticket has a prize. So it's unmistakable. But still, it's better to check the numbers beforehand, to be on the safe side.
I myself have given away a few tickets between $600 and $1000 to local Idaho residents because to me it was not worth the tax hassle to claim small prizes. I'm from Utah so maybe their are alot of small prizes that go unclaimed for the same reason that they were won by people living in Utah. One lady was able to fix her car with a couple of tickets I gave her so it felt like the right thing to do. With 3 non-lottery states (Nevada, Wyoming, Utah) surrounding Idaho I'm sure they get alot of out of state traffic. Malad, Idaho was reported to be 4 times its normal population on the Thursday and Friday before the 650 million drawing for MegaMillions.
Jimmy
That's an interesting idea, Jimmy, the 3 non-lottery states. Maybe that has something to do with the unclaimed prizes.
And how cool that someone else could benefit greatly from your winning tickets. Nice :)
Why play!
Ding Cuckoo ..................
If that's just Idaho ???.....Then I wonder what it would be in NY, CA, FL, PA, or TX ????
I haven't used those in a couple years, but they used to be pretty lame. They'd say winner or not a winner, but no amount. I use the vending machines now, which do tell you how much $$$. Have they upgraded the smaller scanners?
I bet that's a big part of it. I drove over to Oregon a few years ago when their state game was around 30 mil. I had a ticket worth 2 or 3 dollars, and the big JP was won, so it just wasn't worth it to drive back for a couple bucks.
I shred my tickets for kitty litter. They contact you if you win, right?
Your generous than most, good for you, and good for the recipients!
And this is why I check the trash whenever I buy my scratchies.
"It's not me. Sad to say, I always check my tickets and check 'em twice.
Seriously, what is wrong with Idahoans!!!!
That's just crazy. Crazy fool business."
Hopefully they are not claiming that someone won only to keep the prize.
Ha! Of course.
This should change with online sales. If they know who you are, then there should'nt be any unclaimed or expired wins. Curious to see how it works.
Good point, RedStang.
Wonder if they'll notify you or wait for you to contact them if you win playing online?
They'll lose all that unclaimed money if they notify people when they win.
LOL... Yes they will contact you they will put an add in the News Paper( The International News Section).....
Remember what happened a couple of days ago. A while back lady scans a ticket. She says the machine said it was not a winner. she throws the ticket in the trash. Now at this point it would be part of the millions of unclaimed lottery winnings people sometimes over look. But another lady digs the ticket out the trash can and discovers it to be a one million dollar winner. Then first lady sues the second lady. The court sided with the first lady. The ticket should have stayed in the trash. Maybe all of that unclaimed money in Idaho and elsewhere needs to stay unclaimed for if someone happens to find a winning ticket on the street somewhere the courts will just make you find the winner or anyone can just claim to be the ticket owner. And BOOM the money is no longer yours. What ever happened to money awarded to bearer of ticket. Isn't this written on the back of YOUR lottery ticket?
If only it were that simple s200sf. Unfortunately you need to factor in greed, envy, stupidity, courts, lawyers and a never ending supply of
A--holes which seem to rule the day.
On that bright note, welcome to LP!!!
It takes all kinds!
It's what makes this beautiful world go round rad!
Willing to bet that not only Idaho but ALL the others states have had issues with their scanners. At least 50% of the unclaimed prizes are most likely due to faulty software on the scanners.
I have never utilized a scanner or a clerk to check my ticket. Always validate your tickets manually prior to handing them over to a clerk...no matter how sweet and innocent he/she may appear.
Yikes - I never thought of that, of a scanner being faulty. But yeah... it could happen.
But then how am I gonna get my exercise? As incentive to walk, I can only buy a lottery ticket if I walk to get it. Went to Fred Meyer today to get another Mega, went to the tobacco store yesterday for my first one. Keeps me walking about an hour every day to get a ticket or two for each game I play.
Is that your dog at the helm, Jill?
Yes it is. Not only does she enjoy swimming but occassionally gets behind the wheel as well
I love shopping at Fred Meyer but I never buy my tickets there cos of the always-long line at Customer Service. I think the one on Franklin is the worst. They need more help at that Help counter.
Uh, not that I'm an impatient person or anything.
Okay FESS UP! Who took home the $118m yesterday?
Somebody from Illinois.
Probably Coin Toss or HaveABall.
I hope they share with everybody here.
It's only fair, afterall.
Cool.
I love seeing my dogs have fun too.
That's the one I go to, and never bought there for the same reason, till they got the vending machine. The only problem I've had at the machine is with scratch off players hogging it. Some of them stand in front of it and quickly scratch off the code and if it's a winner they scan it again to apply the $$$ to their balance, then buy more tickets one at a time and scratch the codes till they get another winner. As long as they have a balance in the machine, it's hard to cut in. I'm not impatient either.
Hey - I shop there regularly! In fact, I was just there. And yes, I have used that vending machine, mostly for when I'm in a superstitious mood and I want to buy a ticket at 11:11 am. That's just a weird thing I do once in awhile, usually on a Sunday morning. And that's when I'm *hoping* there are no scratch-off buyers standing there hogging it! Cos yeah... ya know.
So if you're ever near the vending machine at 11:11 am and there's some lady with multicolored hair and sunglasses hogging it, you'll know it's me. Just be polite and tell me to shove off.... and I'll know it's you.
Trying to figure out how to politely tell someone to shove off.
Well, now we really know that Mega Millions is fixed!
Another winner from the East Coast New England States!
Oh wait ........ NOT!
It's all in the TONE - lol!
Admittedly it may not be the safest place, but after I buy tickets I put them in my car's glovebox in a plaster folder. Every single time. At least I know where they are. And they get checked within 2 days max of whatever drawing they're for. Don't do many scratchoffs, but they get checked immediately, often before I leave the store.
Is it just me? That is one item I refuse to give as a gift. God forbid it is a million dollar winner. Now you just gave your blessing away.
The Idaho Lottery should allow players to register, if would winners get their prizes.
I just wondering why winners always be in this state...