Can you imagine buying a Powerball ticket and winning $50,000 on it but then never claiming your winnings?
That is what is about to happen for some in the Baton Rouge area, as the Louisiana Lottery announced that a $50,000 Powerball prize is set to expire soon!
The winning Powerball ticket
This winning Powerball ticket was purchased at Speedy Mart, located at 12532 S. Harrells Ferry Road in Baton Rouge, for the November 11, 2023, drawing. It is set to expire on May 9, 2024.
This winning ticket happened to match four of the five white ball numbers drawn that night and the red Powerball number. For doing so, they won $50,000.
The winning numbers for the November 11, 2023, drawing were 1, 12, 14, 24, and 57, and the Powerball number was 7.
The Louisiana Lottery President, Rose Hudson, said:
We look forward to the winner coming forward to claim this prize. In the meantime, the individual should treat the ticket as cash. It is also a good idea to sign the back of the ticket for security purposes.
Claim it before it expires
If you happen to be the holder of this $50,000 winning ticket, then you have until 5 p.m. CT on May 9, 2024, to claim your prize. This is subject to the Lottery's hours of operation on that day, so make sure to double-check before pushing it off until that final day.
The winnings are subject to applicable federal and state tax withholdings. Any Powerball prize greater than $5,000 must be claimed at one of the Lottery's five regional offices located throughout the state. Winners can also claim their prize at Lottery headquarters in Baton Rouge by bringing in the original printed ticket.
In Louisiana, winners of any draw-style games have 180 days from the date of the drawing to claim their prize. If a prize goes unclaimed, that money is deposited into the Lottery's unclaimed prize fund. This fund is returned to players in the form of increased payouts on instant-win games and player promotions.
Where does the money go in Louisiana?
We mentioned where the unclaimed prize money goes, but what happens to the money made from lottery sales in the state? Here is a breakdown of the lottery sales in Louisiana for Fiscal Year 2023:
- $373.1 million to prize winners - Since the Lottery's inception, players have won more than $5 billion in prizes. In FY2023, more than half of lottery sales were reserved for prize expenses.
- $212.1 million to state treasury - Lottery proceeds are earmarked for the Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) in Louisiana. This program funds K-12 public education in the state. Also, the first $500,000 in annual lottery proceeds is used for the Louisiana Department of Health and Hospitals - Office of Behavioral Health to fund problem gambling programs.
- $36.6 million to lottery retailers - Lottery retailers in Louisiana earn a 5% commission on the sale of lottery products as licensed retailers. They also earn a bonus of up to 2% for cashing winning tickets of $600 or less. There is a selling bonus of up to 1% on the sale of winning tickets for Lotto jackpots; Easy 5 jackpots; Powerball and Mega Millions match-5 prizes (including Power Play and Megaplier winnings); and Powerball and Mega Millions jackpots.
- $31.5 million to lottery operational expenses - To keep things running smoothly for the Louisiana Lottery, they retain about 5% of its revenue to fund statewide operations, which includes its headquarters, five regional sales offices where players claim winning tickets, technology for generating tickets and conducting drawings, ticket printing, and shipping, advertising, promotions, and staffing.
Enjoy playing the Louisiana Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
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