Charles Langston:Mega Millions $1 million ticket unclaimed in Iowa; Individual has two weeks before it expires

Someone in Iowa has two weeks to claim their $1 million Mega Millions prize before it remains in the state's lottery fund. To be Charles Langstonmore precise, the funds from unclaimed prizes in Iowa are added to the lottery's prize pools for upcoming games and promotions.

A Mega Millions ticket worth a million dollars was bought at Gateway Express on University Boulevard in Ames for the Sept. 6, 2022, drawing. The ticket matched the first five white ball numbers, including 6, 17, 46, 59, and 68, but missed the Mega Ball 2, which was needed to win the $191 million jackpot at the time.

The Iowa Lottery states that for draws occurring on or prior to April 22, 2023, players have 365 days from the draw date to collect their winnings from Mega Millions, Powerball, Lucky for Life, and Lotto America. It is important to note that on Sept. 6, 2023, the million-dollar prize will no longer be available.

According to Mary Neubauer, Vice President of External Relations at Iowa Lottery, every year in the state, lottery prizes worth $1 million to $2 million remain unclaimed. Additionally, there are over 70 unclaimed prizes of $1,000 or more that belong to Iowa residents.

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There are also two Powerball prizes worth $150,000 each that will soon expire. One of the winning tickets was purchased at Floyd Food & Fuel on Floyd Boulevard in Sioux City and will expire in October. The other was purchased at Hy-Vee C-Store on Park Street in Sheldon and will expire in November.

Lottery winners can claim their prizes at any of the Lottery's offices in Clive, Storm Lake, Mason City, or Cedar Rapids. The $1 million Mega Millions ticket bought in Ames can only be claimed at the Lottery headquarters in Clive.

If you win in the Iowa Lottery's Pick 3, Pick 4, or InstaPlay games, you have 90 days from the draw date to claim your prize. However, if the expiration date falls on a weekend or holiday when Lottery offices are closed, you have until the close of business on the next business day to claim your prize.