The Texas Lottery says an unclaimed winning Powerball ticket worth $1 million will expire on Thursday. So what happens to the money if the winner doesn't come forward?
The winning Quick Pick ticket for the Oct. 22, 2022 drawing was bought in Paris at Tiger Mart 75. The ticket matched the five white balls (19-25-48-55-60) but not the red Powerball (18).
In most cases, the winner has 180 days, or until Thursday, April 20 at 5 p.m. in this case, to claim the prize. After that, the Texas Lottery said the winning ticket is forfeited and the cash is turned over to the state.
The Texas Lottery told NBC 5 unclaimed prizes from all scratch and draw games are given to the state for programs authorized by the state legislature, including the Foundation School Fund and Fund for Veterans’ Assistance, which are the primary beneficiaries of the Texas Lottery.
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Over the last 32 years, through Feb. 28, 2023, the Texas Lottery said they have transferred more than $1.5 billion in unclaimed winnings back to the state to be used for a variety of programs. That makes for a whopping average of $47 million in unclaimed winnings per year. So, check your tickets!
The Texas Lottery said they have generated $36.8 billion in revenue for the state and distributed $80.5 billion in prizes to lottery players since 1992. Since 1997, the Texas Lottery has contributed $30.8 billion to the Foundation School Fund, which supports public education in Texas. Additionally, since the first veterans’ themed scratch ticket game was launched in 2009, the Texas Lottery has contributed more than $210 million to the Fund for Veterans' Assistance for programs supporting Texas veterans.
