Lottery players left $2.89 billion on the table in the 12 months ending June 2017. That's how much in winnings expired unclaimed nationwide, and the haul includes 167 prizes worth $1 million or more. The biggest known miss was a $77.1 million Powerball ticket bought in Tallapoosa, Georgia, on June 29, 2011.
The $77.1 million miss
Somewhere in Tallapoosa, a person bought a Powerball ticket that turned out to be worth $77.1 million. But nobody ever came forward to claim it. The ticket's 180-day claim window in Georgia came and went, and the prize was forfeited.
That's a lot of money to walk away from. Yet it happens more often than you might think.
A year of forgotten fortunes
The $2.89 billion figure covers every unclaimed prize in the U.S. over that 12-month stretch, from small payouts to eight-figure jackpots. The 167 prizes of $1 million or more represent a significant chunk of that total, though the exact breakdown isn't available.
What is known is that the $77.1 million Powerball was the single largest unclaimed prize during that period. It was drawn on June 29, 2011, and the ticket was purchased in Tallapoosa, a small city in west Georgia.
The claim window that decides
Georgia gives winners 180 days from the draw to claim their money. After that, the prize expires and the funds are redirected. The exact destination of the forfeited money varies by state, but for this ticket, the clock simply ran out.
Why no one claimed it remains a mystery. Maybe the ticket was lost, or destroyed, or the holder never checked the numbers. Whatever the reason, the prize is gone.
The $2.89 billion in expired winnings from that fiscal year serves as a reminder that lottery tickets are only worth something if you actually claim them. For the $77.1 million Powerball, the 180-day window closed without a winner.
