Just a few days ago, we reported that a Lotto ticket with a $44 million prize, sold at Sunoco Express in Kissimmee, had not yet been redeemed, and the ticket holder had only a few days left to claim their winnings before the ticket would become invalid.
The ticket has now expired, and as a result, the prize can no longer be claimed.
The Florida Lottery Commission confirmed that the deadline for claiming the prize, set at 180 days from the draw date on June 14, passed at midnight on Monday. As a result, a significant portion of the unclaimed funds, 80%, will be allocated to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, benefiting the state's public education system.
Sunoco Express receives a percentage of the prize money
The remaining 20% of the prize money will be returned to the lottery's prize pool.
Navjeet Khela, the owner of the Sunoco Express where the winning ticket was sold, expressed his surprise and excitement about his store selling the winning ticket.
He described the experience as a shock, especially receiving the news early in the morning. Despite no one claiming the prize, his gas station will still receive a percentage of the prize money, as per lottery rules.
This turn of events highlights the importance of timely prize claims in lotteries and the beneficial impact unclaimed lottery funds can have on public sectors like education.
It's not the first time in history that a lottery winner has failed to claim their prize, but it is rare for unclaimed lottery winnings to be of such a significant amount.
