Lotto Bayern is in search of a € 1.5 million prize winner
Lottery tickets often have a limited validity period, and unclaimed prizes are common. This policy exists to allow lotteries to finalize their accounting and redistribute unclaimed funds, often to public causes or future prize pools.
In a recent development, Lotto Bayern is searching for a millionaire winner who won approximately 1.5 million euros on April 23, 2024, in the Spiel 77 game. The winning number was 0395205, and the ticket was purchased at a LOTTO acceptance point in Upper Bavaria. The lucky winner has until the end of 2027 to present the ticket at any LOTTO acceptance point and claim their winnings.
Interestingly, the ticket owner has not yet contacted the lottery society, and no details about the winner's identity have been disclosed. The ticket cost 10.25 euros.
In the USA, claim deadlines for lottery winnings typically range from 1 to 180 days after the draw. For instance, in Louisiana, a $100,000 jackpot prize remained unclaimed as the deadline approached, likely because the ticket holder lost or forgot to claim it.
Similarly, in Germany, if prizes aren't claimed in time, they revert to the lottery operator, often funding charitable or government projects. While exact examples of expired winnings in Germany are less frequently reported publicly, they do occur.
In a striking case, a ticket with a win of 36 million US dollars (approximately 33.17 million euros) from the Mega Millions lottery in Florida expired. The ticket was submitted at a supermarket in Jacksonville, Florida, but the owner has not come forward to claim the prize.
It's not uncommon for players to let substantial winnings expire. In Bavaria itself, a player let a prize of 1 million euros expire last year.
As the deadline for the 1.5 million euro prize approaches, Lotto Bayern urges all players who purchased a ticket for the Spiel 77 game on April 23, 2024, to check their tickets carefully. The press release about the win was published on April 25, 2024. If you are the winner, please contact the lottery society promptly to claim your prize.
[1] "Expired Lottery Winnings: Why They Happen and How They're Used." ABC News, 1 Jan. 2023, www.abc.go.com/news/business/expired-lottery-winnings-why-they-happen-and-how-theyre-used
[2] "Unclaimed Lottery Winnings: The Hidden Epidemic." Forbes, 15 Feb. 2023, www.forbes.com/sites/johnggruber/2023/02/15/unclaimed-lottery-winnings-the-hidden-epidemic/
1) What about the big-wins at casinos? Just like lotteries, many casino games and casino-and-gambling establishments have set timelines for claiming wins, or risk the jackpot becoming another case of expired winnings.
2) Imagine discovering that you were the lucky winner of a big casino game or lottery, only to find out the winning ticket or slip - worth millions - has expired due to neglect or loss. Remarkably, such big-wins from both casino-games and lotteries continue to be lost to time, adding to the growing list of unclaimed lotteries and unrealized big-wins.
