Someone just lost out on $130 million.

For a Powerball ticket. Deadline just past on Sunday. There is no way you can forget you have a winning ticket worth that much. They most likely lost it or it was stollen. I remember reading about that story from last year and the store said they knew who bought the winning ticket. I wonder if that was the highest amount that ever went unclaimed.

Why even play if your not going to claim it. It could of went to someone else. I see there's a few more unclaimed coming soon.

Does that money go back into the powerball game?

WOW!!! WOW!!!! WOW!!!! I would be sick!!!

Most likely something happend to the winner or the ticket for them not to claim it. Maybe the person died, got into an accident, developed amnesia, went to jail, or left the country etc... The possibilites are endless. Unless you're rich and play for fun and not claim any prizes then I don't think regular people would do the same.

The money is returned according to the states' share of the jackpot.

Some states give that money back to players (i.e. prize fund). Others keep the money (i.e. transfer to education fund).

While one person indeed missed out on a life-changing sum, it is not as if the money disappeared into thin air. Multiple parties will benefit from this.

That being said, it is a shame for any prize of major proportions to go unclaimed, but 'tis the irony of playing for an unattainable fortune. Even being at the right place in the right time with the right ticket doesn't guarantee that you will achieve success.

They might have died or they  lost it  or they tossed it somewhere and never got around to checking it. Either way, someone lost out on a lot of money.

Did the store contact the person who lost the ticket if they knew who won it?

What state was this purchased in?

And welcome to LP.

New York. It's funny cause here in California if a jackpot winning ticket isn't claimed after a month, the state lottery releases the surveillance footage of the winner buying the ticket to the public. I've seen it happen before.

@ Scarychick- It was from a store in Brooklyn, NY and they released the name and address of the store. The deadline has already passed so it's obvious that the lotto office or the store didn't try to find the winner. And I'm sure the store would have cameras. 

@WesternRed- Thanks for the welcome but I've been reading this forum for a while. I just created a new account since I couldn't log into the old one.

" I have seen it happen before as well"- l seriously doubt it is going to happen again PR.

The California lottery screwed up big-time with that one. A winner of either the MM/PB jackpot in California has 365 days in which to come forward and claim their prize, however *they CL decided that since no one had come forward after 45 days, they had better visit the store, ask the owner for the surveillance tape of the time of the ticket purchase and plaster the winner's face on tv. Their actions resulted in the winner being hounded out of the City. l read where people were leaving bouquets of flowers on his doorstep with hundreds of letters from people pleading for all kinds of financial help.Folks were knocking on his door at all hours of the day  after they recognized the store and the winner.

The California lottery Comm got a firestorm of protests from people asking " What the heck is going on here?" It was not  their business to go about taking footage of the store and outing the winner. Granted this is not a State where one can claim their prize anonymously- but for heaven sakes...honor the 365 day rule that is published in your own handbook.

Is this the biggest individual unclaimed prize in U.S history?

I would think so. I remember the last time I heard of the largest unclaimed jackpot, it was in the $50-55M range. I think it was Powerball in Indiana. It was awhile ago. Maybe 10 years ago.

I'm suprised this hasn't gotten more attention.

According to NY Lottery it was a QP ticket sold at 117 BRIGHTON BEACH AVE , BROOKLYN worth $130.3 Million. What "PrinceRene" said is accurate, .CA releases surveillance footage. Why doesn't NY do the same. Where the cameras not rolling that day or what? Total revenue for 2014 NY Lottery is over $9.2 Billion. They could have done much more to find this winner. If you ask me its just the greed.