Winning the lottery is an amazing thing, especially when you land a grand prize! Most winners don’t rush with the claiming process. That allows them to come up with the right strategy on what to do after the win. However, you can’t take too long, or your ticket might go past its expiration date. This guide discovers when will your lottery ticket expire, as well as other details you should know about its expiry times. Keep reading to ensure you claim the prize in time!
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When Do Lottery Tickets Expire?
Lottery tickets can’t actually go bad after a certain time, like food products. However, the rules of the game dictate that all lotto tickets are valid only until the expiration date. After all, lotteries can’t save your money forever, especially with inflation and currency value changes.
Ticket validity is the financial mechanism lottery organizers use to ensure everything runs smoothly. It’s also a way of keeping the play transparent. The lotteries don’t want to risk having too many unclaimed tickets, and deadlines are the way to motivate the players to claim their rewards sooner.
The time when your lottery ticket expires depends on the game. Most lotteries will give you at least three months (90 days) from the drawing date to claim the prize. That deadline is sometimes extended up to a year, although some lotteries allow three and more years to claim the reward.
Ticket Expiration by Lotteries
The best way to know when your ticket expires is to check the claiming deadline for the specific lottery. Here is a detailed table on ticket expiration for the major worldwide lotto games!
| Lottery | Ticket Expiration |
|---|---|
| US Powerball | 90 days to 12 months (depending on the state) |
| US MegaMillions | 90 days to 12 months (depending on the state) |
| EuroMillions | 90 days – 12 months (depending on the country) |
| EuroJackpot | 180 days |
| Italy Superenalotto | 90 days |
| Brazil Mega Sena | 90 days |
| Canada Lotto 6/49 | 12 months |
| Australia Oz Lotto | 6 years |
Do Scratch-Off Lottery Tickets Expire?
Scratchers are fun games where you can instantly discover if you won. But what if you purchase a scratch card for a friend or the entire family and don’t want to scratch it immediately? If it happens that you win, please be aware that scratchers also have an expiration date.
If you play scratch cards online, you should receive most winnings immediately. For large prizes, you’ll be informed to check in with the lottery, as well as about the deadline to do that. If you bought the scratcher at the local vendor, you could check its backside. There should be information about the validity of the scratch card. It’s necessary to claim the prize before that date passes.
How to Avoid Unclaimed Lottery Tickets?
A jackpot winner was supposed to receive $87 million after playing EuroMillions in June 2012. It was only 50% of the grand reward since the prize was split among the users. But while the lottery immediately found one lucky winner in Belgium, the other remained unclaimed. EuroMillions even conducted a big campaign to inform the potential winner, but no one came forward in time.
You also have many people who almost failed to claim their winning ticket. Lerynne West left her ticket in another person’s vehicle. And it’s only luck that her sister was the owner of that vehicle, and she noticed the ticket on time. The Powerball jackpot was $343 million at the time, and Lerynne ultimately claimed it.
But what can you do to prevent this from happening to you? Here are the best tips to avoid unclaimed lottery tickets:
- Check the expiration date immediately: most lotteries have a clear expiration date written on the back of the ticket. Make sure to check it immediately, and if you can’t find it, contact the lottery to get accurate information.
- It’s all about keeping the ticket safe: you can’t claim the prize without the ticket. That’s why you need to keep it in a safe place. If you purchased it online, print a physical copy, and never share your online account credentials with anyone. If you have a physical ticket, choose a safe place where it can’t suffer any accidental damage.
- Inform yourself on when the draw is: many people buy a lottery ticket in a rush and even forget about the draw. If you purchased a ticket, it’s important to follow through and inform yourself of the drawing date.
- Check the results after the draw: you don’t have to watch the session live. It’s enough to check the lottery results online. That way, you’ll know if you qualified for a prize.
- Let a trustworthy person know you played the lottery: make sure to tell them to remind you to check the results. This can be important if you forget about the draw.
- Add a reminder to your phone: use the benefits of technology and set a smartphone reminder that you have an unclaimed or unchecked lottery ticket. You can also set the alarm to remind you with one or two weeks to go before the claiming deadline.
What Happens to Unclaimed Lottery Prizes?
If your ticket expires, the reward is officially considered unclaimed. That means the ticket owner can’t claim it anymore, but the question is what happens with the funds. It depends on the lottery rules in the specific jurisdiction.
Some states, such as Florida, take the entire sum to use for public projects. Some lotteries might require the money to go to charities or specific projects, such as public education. There are even some games where retailers get to split the prize. It depends on the lottery, but the sure thing is that players can’t claim anything after the expiration date. Check out our detailed guide to discover more about unclaimed lottery tickets.
FAQs
Do Lottery Tickets Go Out of Date?
Yes, each ticket has an expiration date. That means you can claim the prize until that date. If you are late, the ticket is no longer valid, and you can’t claim the reward. It’s extremely important to honor the deadline since there are no exceptions.
What Is the Biggest Unclaimed Lottery Prize?
The latest information reveals that the biggest unclaimed prize is from January 2020. The “lucky” player won $369.9 million in the Florida Lottery. However, the deadline for claiming the prize expired, and nobody appeared to claim it. The state used the funds for public projects as they saw fit.
How Long Are MegaMillions Tickets Good for?
The usual expiration date for MegaMillions lottery tickets is from 90 days to 12 months. It depends on the location, but you might find it when your ticket expires on its backside. If you didn’t notice it, check with the lottery or the official online provider.
How Long Is the Powerball Ticket Good for?
It depends on the state where you purchased the ticket. Ticket expiration can occur anywhere from three to 12 months. For example, the Florida Lottery considers Powerball tickets valid up to 180 days from the draw date. Make sure to check with the local or online vendor to get exact information on when your ticket expires.
How Long Does It Take to Collect Lottery Winnings?
It always depends on the lottery. For smaller prizes claimed at your local vendor, you receive the money immediately. If you need to go to the lottery office, you might need to be patient. For large prizes, it can take from four to six weeks for the lottery to pay them.
