Lotto: $22m in unclaimed prize money, Powerball jackpot $160m
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More than two dozen Aussies have scored major lottery wins worth more than $20m, but they don’t know it yet.
Across Queensland, NSW, Victoria and Western Australia there are 25 people who are yet to claim their winnings, which are worth $22,284,117.
In NSW, there are 11 unclaimed wins worth more than $9.5m.
Queensland winners are missing out on more than $5.5m and Victoria has two major winners who can collect more than $1.2m.
Western Australia has three major unclaimed prizes totally $5.9m.
The most significant unclaimed prize, $4.8m, is waiting for a Set for Life division one winner to claim it. It was won in April 2021 by a purchaser in Canberra.
The winning tickets were not issued to player cards, so lottery officials have no way of contacting the winners to give them their prizes.
The Lott spokesman James Eddy has urged Australians to check old tickets in case they’re a lucky winner.
“We know that up to half of Australian adults will have an entry into this Thursday’s Powerball draw, hoping to win the jackpot,” Mr Eddy said.
“But some Aussies have already won big, and their prize is just waiting to be claimed.
“With millions in unclaimed major prizes just waiting to be taken home, there’s millions of reasons to dig around the house, car, or even old shopping bags for potentially life-changing tickets.
“We’ve had winners come forward in the past having found an old ticket under the fridge, in the back of a drawer, or tucked away in the glovebox of their car.
“It could certainly pay to sweep the premises and search for any entries that may have wandered out of sight and mind.
“If you do discover an old ticket, be sure check it in-store or online to see if you’re one of our elusive winners.”
But the prize pool comes with an expiry date, varying across each state.
In Queensland, winners are allowed up to seven years to claim their prizes, but in NSW and the ACT they only have six years.
Victorian winners can claim their prizes up to 12 months later directly from Tatts, and after the year they can claim it from the Victorian State Revenue Office.
Any lottery player who thinks they may hold the winning ticket to a major prize are encouraged to contact The Lott on 131 868.
WA customers can contact Lotterywest on 133 777.
Mr Eddy encourages all players to register their entries so if their ticket is a winner, they can be easily united with their prize money as soon as possible.
“For Aussies grabbing an entry and dreaming about winning this Thursday’s $160m Powerball draw, we suggest you register that entry to an online account or player card so that we can call you immediately should you win the jackpot,” he said.
“We’ll be ready to dial the number of any division one winners on Thursday evening straight after the draw, but we can only do that if you’ve registered your entry and your details are up to date.”
