A $36 million Mega Millions lottery ticket was canceled after no one came forward to claim it.
The deadline to claim the prize was Feb. 11, marking the end of the 180-day claim period, according to the Florida Lottery.
The winning ticket was purchased at a Publix in Jacksonville on August 15, with the winning numbers 18-39-42-57-63. The Mega Ball number was 7 with a 3x multiplier.
The winner has now forfeited the winnings, and the ticket is no longer worth anything, Florida Lottery spokeswoman Michelle Griner tells PEOPLE.
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Florida Lottery Form.
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Eighty percent of the funds from the unclaimed ticket will now be transferred to the education fund, according to the Florida Lottery.
The rest will be kept for the prize pool, according to the organization.
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The recent drawing marked the only unused Mega Millions jackpot ticket in 2023, according to the group’s website.
Other big unclaimed jackpots in past years include a $26 million prize in California in 2021 and a $77 million unclaimed Powerball ticket in Georgia in 2011.
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Mega Millions winners have the option to claim their winnings in cash or an annual payout.
The cash option is “a one-time, lump-sum payment equal to the entire amount in the Mega Millions jackpot prize pool.” By choosing a payout, winners are entitled to an initial payout followed by 29 annual payouts. According to Mega Millions, each payout is “5 percent higher than the previous one.”
Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education