Lottery warning to check tickets for expiring unclaimed $1m Powerball prize – and it was sold last summer at a mini mart

A $1 million Powerball prize is still waiting to be claimed - but the winner has just weeks to act.

The lucky winner bought the ticket at a Mini Mart in Massachusetts last year.

The $1 million ticket was sold for the August 21, 2023 drawing at Metro Mini Mart on Main Street in Watertown, reported CBS News.

The winning numbers were 3-4-12-22-28, with a Powerball of 16.

As winners have 12 months to claim their prizes, the unknown ticket holder has just several weeks before it expires.

Prizes worth over $103,000 must be claimed at Lottery headquarters in Dorchester, according to Mass Lottery.

And if the ticket holder fails to contact Lottery officials, funds from the unclaimed prize-money will go towards local projects.

MISSING MONEY

Several other lucrative prizes have now recently expired in the state, said CBS.

One was a $100,000 Mash Cash prize which was bought at the Quick Stop Mini Mart on Mink Street in Seekonk for the July 20, 2023 drawing.

Two unclaimed $50,000 Powerball winners were sold for a July 19, 2023 drawing.

It comes as Mass Lottery has this month already handed over big checks to 10 players who have each won $1 million.

Francisca Uceta De Placencio, of Salem, won a $1 million prize in the state lottery’s “$4,000,000 Monopoly Doubler” $10 instant ticket game.

She chose the cash option and received a one-time payment of $650,000 before taxes.

De Placenio said she intended investing the cash and helping her family with the winnings.

Howard Kendall Jr. of Plymouth also scooped a $1 million prize in the same game.

He said that the night before his big win, he had a dream that he bought a diamonds ticket.

Kendall, who bought the winning ticket at 7-Eleven, 507 State Rd, in Plymouth said he planned to help his kids and grandchildren with the winnings.

Lottery winnings: lump sum or annuity?

Players who win big on lottery tickets typically have a choice to make: lump sum or annuity?

The two payout methods can impact how much money you get from your prize.

Annuities pay out slowly in increments, often over 30 years.

Lump sums pay all at once but in a smaller amount, as taxes are withheld in one go. That means 24% of your prize goes to Uncle Sam right away. Many states tax winnings as well.

Annuities can provide winners time to set up the financial infrastructure required to take in a life-changing amount of money, but lump sums have the benefit of being taxed only once.

Inflation is also worth considering when making a choice, as payouts do not adjust with the value of a dollar. That means that you'll likely be getting less valuable money towards the end of an annuity.

Each state and game pays out prizes differently, so it’s best to check with your state’s lottery to confirm payment policies. A financial advisor can also help you weigh the pros and cons of each option.

Experts have varying opinions on whether to take the lump sum or take the annuity.

Another $1 million winner said she bought her ticket from dispenser #12 at Cumberland Farms in Eastham because her son was born in the month of December.

Barbara Fay of Eastham went for the one-time prize payment of $650,000 after winning in the Massachusetts State Lottery’s “Emeralds 50X” instant ticket game.

Powerball and Mega Millions saw a 3.7% increase in total sales in the state over the past year, resulting in a record $848.3 million in fiscal 2024, reported Mass Live.

The Lottery returned an estimated $1.157 billion in net profit to the state.

IN COURT

A lucky lottery player almost missed out on their prize when a gas station employee allegedly tried to keep a golden ticket for himself in Tennessee, according to Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office Detective Dennis Ward.

Police alleged the man handed the customer one prize for $40 but kept a $1 million winning ticket for himself by pretending to toss it.

A North Carolina player, meanwhile, had more than $110,000 of $390,000 prize money taken from her.

She was told she could choose between a lifetime supply of cash or a lump sum, and she went with the latter.

If you're unlucky playing the lottery, this side hustle could earn you up to $8,400 a month - and you don't have to leave your neighborhood to do it.

And one man's trash is another's treasure after a Tiktoker spotted $10,000 that was hidden in an old refrigerator.