Two winning California lottery tickets worth more than $2 million each faces deadline to claim prize

One of the tickets, a Mega Millions entry worth $2,151,945, will expire this weekend on Sunday, September 1.Photo bydylan nolteonUnsplash

The clock is ticking for two California Lottery winners who have yet to claim their prizes, each worth more than $2 million. One of the tickets, a Mega Millions entry worth $2,151,945, will expire this weekend on Sunday, September 1.

The ticket, purchased at the Stater Bros. on Ramon Road in Cathedral City for the March 5 drawing, matched five of the six numbers: 2, 49, 50, 61, and 70, missing only the Mega number 14.

Since the ticket expires on a Sunday, the winner must present the ticket at one of California Lottery’s nine offices by 5 p.m. on Friday, August 30. Alternatively, they can complete a claim form and mail it along with the winning ticket to California Lottery Headquarters in Sacramento, as long as it is postmarked by Saturday, August 31.

A second unclaimed ticket, a Powerball entry worth $2,462,356, will expire later this month on Thursday, September 19. This ticket was sold at the 7-Eleven on Roscoe Boulevard in Sun Valley for the March 23 drawing. It also matched five of the six numbers: 6, 23, 25, 34, and 51, missing only the Powerball number 3.

Winners who match five numbers in Powerball and Mega Millions receive second-tier prize money and have 180 days from the draw date to claim their winnings. The California Lottery is urging all players to double-check their tickets as these deadlines approach. Claim forms are available online, at all Lottery Offices, and at many retail locations across the state.