A winning Powerball ticket worth $1 million was cashed with the Hoosier Lottery in Indiana just five hours before the paper ticket slips ended.
In what Indiana Lottery officials say is one of the most heartwarming holiday stories of the 2024 season, a Kendallville couple arrived at the Hoosier Lottery prize payout office in downtown Indianapolis on Dec. 26. The couple, who wished to remain anonymous, said they received the tickets on Christmas Day after searching for the slip for several days.
The powerball game matched five white balls during the June 29 drawing: 26, 51, 54, 61, and 69. Had the ticket also matched the red 25 Powerball, winners would have claimed a jackpot of $115.5 million.
The ticket sold in Indiana was one of two tickets that matched all five white balls during the drawing. The second was sold in New Jersey. Neither purchased the optional $1 add-on Power Play, which would have doubled their payout to $2 million.
psa works
Unlike many states, which provide lottery winners up to a year to redeem their winning tickets, Indiana’s lottery law requires redemption within 180 days of withdrawal. As the December 26 deadline approached, the Hoosier Lottery launched a massive communications campaign to warn players that a seven-figure windfall would be outstanding.
“The couple had seen news coverage and signage at a local gas station about unclaimed Powerball tickets about a month ago. Although the convenience store is not a place they go to often and they were not sure they purchased a ticket for that specific Powerball drawing, they took the time to look around for the ticket. The search was not successful, and the couple admitted they did not even purchase a ticket for that drawing, a statement from the lottery said.
Just before Christmas, the couple learned again that the ticket was unclaimed and about to expire. He decided to search again. Waking up at 4 a.m. on Christmas morning, the couple searched their vehicle deeply between the seats. At that moment they realized they were holding a winning $1 million Powerball ticket,” the lottery continued.
Winnings of $1 million are subject to a federal tax of 37%. Indiana also treats lottery winnings as taxable income with a 3.05% tax.
unclaimed victory
casino.org It is estimated that more than $3 billion worth of lottery tickets go unclaimed across the United States each year. Most tickets are small in value, but unredeemed winnings add up, as 45 of the 50 states have lottery systems.
In 2011, a Powerball jackpot worth $77 million in Georgia was not cashed before the ticket expired. Two years later, a $50 million Powerball ticket sold in Florida was worthless.
In 2022, a $68 million Mega Millions ticket in New York went unredeemed, and a $46 million Mega Millions prize sold in Brooklyn the following year also remained at large due to expiration.
When Powerball and Mega Millions winnings are not cashed in, the funds go back to the state lottery that contributed to the pot. From there, most states use the proceeds to fund their own prize money or programs they support.
States that have online lottery sales say that digital tickets provide consumer protections because winnings are automatically credited and/or stored for the player. Online courier services can also help players ensure that their tickets do not get lost.
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