…Researched and contributed by Solomon Thomas.
Millions of dollars worth of lottery prizes remain unclaimed across Australia, with 21 major lottery prizes remaining unclaimed.
These prizes are worth a total of $15,840,462.05.
There is even one prize of $4.8 million that remains unclaimed since April 2021, making it the highest unclaimed prize to date.
NSW residents hold the highest number of unclaimed prizes, with 10 prizes to be claimed in the state, followed by Queensland with eight, two in the ACT, and one in Victoria.
Queensland residents have the longest period to claim their winnings, with a seven-year window.
Meanwhile, residents in NSW and the ACT have six years to claim, and in Victoria, residents have only 12 months to claim directly from the lottery company.
If the prize goes unclaimed during this period, the prize will go to the government, to the community via donations, or back to players in bonus draws depending on the jurisdiction.
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There have been cases where lottery winners have taken years to come forward to claim their prize.
One man discovered his lottery ticket from the year before in a shopping bag while he was cleaning his car.
He then checked if it was a winner and discovered he was a million dollars richer.
If you lose your lottery ticket, there are steps to take in order to get a replacement.
If your tickets are registered to a player card, you can call The Lott on 131 868 and they will send you a free ticket certificate or cheque in the mail.
However, if you have not registered the ticket, you will need to fill out a form to provide a variety of details about the ticket, including the type, where it was purchased, the time of purchase, and how it was paid for.
You will also have to pay a search fee of $15 or $22 in South Australia to find the ticket in the system.
The fact that there are millions of dollars worth of unclaimed lottery prizes highlights the importance of checking your tickets regularly.
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It is essential to keep your ticket in a safe place and to remember to check your numbers. With a large sum of money at stake, it is crucial not to let an opportunity to claim your prize slip away.
