How long do you have to claim the Powerball? What happens if no one claims the Powerball prize? Would anyone leave a prize unclaimed? Surprisingly, it happens more than you think.
What happens to the money if the Powerball goes unclaimed?
Each jurisdiction where the Powerball is played has its own rules regarding how long a winner has to claim their prize. It can range anywhere from 90 days to a full year later. Just because a winner doesn’t come forth immediately doesn’t mean they won’t eventually.
Surprisingly, billions in lottery winnings go unclaimed every year. This is from state and multi-state lotteries such as Powerball and Mega Millions combined. For the multi-state games, how much each state gets from the unclaimed prize depends on the percentage of the total tickets sold in that state. For example, if New Jersey (see the all-new New Jersey Casino games available on Jackpocket!) sells 10% of the total tickets sold across all states and jurisdictions, they would receive 10% of the unclaimed winnings.
Most states use lottery money to fund public programs such as education, veterans and people experiencing homelessness and will contribute unclaimed prizes to these same programs. Your local state lottery website should contain information about who benefits from lottery proceeds and unclaimed prizes.
⚡️ Feeling inspired? Get in the game on Jackpocket lottery app for mobile or desktop.
How long do Powerball winners have to claim their winnings?
The big question of the day is how long do you have to claim Powerball winnings? The answer is that it varies by state. Lottery lovers have anywhere from 90 days to one year to claim their prize, but it depends on the jurisdiction in which the ticket was ordered.
Your ticket may have an expiration date on the back, so don’t forget to give that a look! If not, check out the lottery website for the state where you purchased your ticket for more information on how long you have to claim your prize.
If you don’t claim the Powerball prize within the allotted time, you forfeit the prize money to the state.
Can you claim the Powerball anonymously?
Each state has its rules surrounding whether lottery prizes can be claimed anonymously, including through a trust. However, some states don’t allow this. Your name must be provided when you claim your prize. Others will allow you to create a trust to claim the winnings, thereby still protecting your identity, while others will state that you can choose whether your name is a matter of public record.
Whether you can remain anonymous or not, all states will share the amount of the prize won along with the location where the winning ticket was picked up.
Recent Powerball draws: Did anyone claim the jackpot?
The last jackpot-winning ticket was for the August 19, 2024, drawing. The grand prize was $44 million, and a single winning ticket got the prize. The winning ticket was sold in California. As of September 10, 2024, it doesn’t look like the winner has come forward yet. This marks the seventh time this year that the jackpot has been won.
Just a week prior, a winner in Pennsylvania took home a grand prize of $214 million in the August 12 drawing. That winner also has yet to claim their prize.
Has the Powerball been claimed? Following past winners
The Powerball website often features past winners. If you participate and win using Jackpocket, you may also be featured with us. Jackpocket respects the rules of each individual state regarding winners and their anonymity.
Why do some Powerball prizes go unclaimed?
It could be due to any number of reasons. People may forget to check their ticket, accidentally lose it, or think their ticket is not a winner when it actually is. (That’s the advantage of participating in the lottery using Jackpocket. There’s no ticket to lose; Jackpocket will notify you automatically if you’re a winner at any prize level.)
Some speculate that another reason people don’t claim their lottery winnings is that they know what programs benefit their state, and they want to increase the funds going toward those programs. In many states, the educational system or the homeless benefit from unclaimed lottery winnings.
Did someone claim the latest Powerball? Checking current status
The Powerball is drawn three times per week. There hasn’t been a grand prize winner since August 19, 2024.
Try your luck ordering lottery tickets with Jackpocket
Did you know there’s a way to play every Powerball number with Jackpocket? Introducing Super Pick! With Super Pick, you get enough Quick Pick tickets to cover every Powerball number available (1-26). You get 26 Quick Pick tickets, one for each possible Powerball. This guarantees you a prize! Match additional numbers to see your prize increase. Not only do you play all of the Powerball numbers, but each standard white ball number is chosen at least once. This guarantees you at least a $4 prize. The more numbers you match, the bigger the prize.
Where to claim your winnings varies by the amount won. If you win less than the threshold for your state, you can claim your winnings with any local state lottery retailer to claim your prize. If you ordered your ticket on Jackpocket, we will automatically credit your account with the amount won. You can use the funds to play again or transfer your winnings to your bank account.
The thresholds in each Jackpocket state are:
-
Arizona - $599.99
-
Arkansas - $500
-
Colorado - $599.99
-
Idaho - $599.99
-
Maine - $599.99
-
Massachusetts - $600
-
Minnesota - $599.99
-
Montana - $599.99
-
Nebraska - $499.99
-
New Hampshire - $599.99
-
New Jersey - $599.99
-
New Mexico - $600
-
New York - $600
-
Ohio – $599.99
-
Oregon - $600
-
Puerto Rico - $1,200
-
Texas - $599.99
-
Washington D.C. - $600
-
West Virginia - $600
If your winnings exceed the threshold in the state where you got your ticket, you will need to visit a lottery office or the lottery headquarters in the state where the lottery ticket was ordered. Some lotteries require appointments so always check ahead on your state lottery website.
What happens when the winner doesn't claim a Powerball prize?
You might think the prize goes back into the game to increase the prize for someone else, or there might be a second chance drawing to pick a new winner, but that isn’t the case. The prize money is funneled back into the state.
First, a little background:When you order a lottery ticket, a portion of your ticket cost goes to fund various programs in your state. What programs are funded depends upon the state in which you got your ticket and the programs they have chosen to fund with lottery proceeds. The same may or may not go for unclaimed prize money.
Many states use these proceeds to fund programs such as education, public parks, people experiencing homelessness, or veteran services, just to name a few. You can learn more about what programs your state lottery supports by visiting your state lottery website. The website will have information on where the cost of your lottery ticket goes or related beneficiaries.
When it comes to Powerball, the unclaimed prize money is distributed based on the percentage of tickets sold in each state for the lottery run. Let’s say that the Powerball continues to roll over until the prize hits $1 billion and a winning ticket is drawn. Now, let's say the $1 billion prize isn’t claimed by the deadline. In this case, every state that sells Powerball tickets will receive a percentage of the unclaimed prize money in proportion to their sales for that Powerball jackpot run. If a state (such as California) has sold 20% of the total ticket sales, it will receive 20% of the unclaimed prize money. This equates to about $200 million in unclaimed prize money that goes back to the state.
After the money is returned to the lotteries, they divide it up according to their local laws. They might put it towards other lottery games or into their jurisdiction's general fund, or wherever else state law says it should go.
FAQs
Can I order a ticket in one state if I live in another state?
Yes! You can visit another state and play their state lottery by visiting a local lottery retailer. If you order your ticket using the Jackpocket app, you can play in another Jackpocket state so long as you are physically located in the state when you place your order. Example: You live in New York but order your ticket on your lunch break in New Jersey!
Just remember, if you win a prize above the state threshold, plan on making another trip to that state to claim your prize.
Can Powerball winners remain anonymous?
That depends. Each state has its own rules around whether winners can claim their prize anonymously. This information is available on your state lottery website.
Why do some lottery prizes go unclaimed?
Unfortunately, some people lose or forget to check their tickets or even misread their ticket, and it happens more often than you think! Approximately $2 billion in prizes go unclaimed every year.
Can I participate in the Powerball online?
Want to get notified automatically if you win? Order your tickets online using Jackpocket, an easy way to join the lottery fun. Jackpocket checks your ticket for you after the drawing and automatically notifies you when you win at any prize level.
Jackpocket is available in 19 states. Order your ticket right on the app and receive an email with all the details of your order, including your ticket serial number. You’ll then be able to view a front-and-back scan of your physical ticket in the app. And more importantly, your physical ticket is securely stored in a fireproof safe.
Download the Jackpocket app today!
