How much money do lotteries generate and how much goes to winners?
While the winner of the Mega Millions jackpot is set to make a considerable fortune, other groups stand to make a lot as well.
LEARN MOREPosted: 2:12 p.m. EDT Apr 20, 2023
The California Lottery is giving the holder of a winning Powerball ticket until Monday to claim a nearly $1.6 million prize.
The ticket was purchased on Oct. 26, 2022, but has yet to be claimed as of earlier this week. Lottery winners in California have six months to claim their prize.
The lottery said if the winner does not step forward, the money will go to California’s school system. The ticket was sold at a Mobil gas station in Los Gatos, California.
The lottery said since 1985, $1 billion in unclaimed prizes have gone to public schools.
The amount of time a person has to claim a winning Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot varies by state. Some states require winnings to be claimed within 90 days. Others give a whole year.
The jackpot for the Oct. 26, 2022, Powerball was relatively large at $700 million.
Powerball offers prizes of $1 million to $2 million for those who hit five numbers but don’t get the Powerball. The numbers drawn were 19-36-37-46-56 with a Powerball of 24.
Meanwhile, officials from the Texas Lottery said a $1 million ticket from the Oct. 22 Powerball drawing remains unclaimed. That person has until Thursday to either turn in the winning ticket in person or have it postmarked.
The numbers drawn in that lottery were 19-25-48-55-60 with a Powerball of 18.
