Deadline looms for lucky $138M Powerball jackpot winner

The time is ticking for one lucky — and maybe forgetful — lottery player in Ohio. A $138 million Powerball jackpot, won with a ticket purchased at a Walmart in Huber Heights, is still unclaimed months after the July drawing.

The December 30 deadline is fast approaching, and the mystery winner risks losing a life-changing fortune unless they come forward soon. Could you be the lucky winner holding onto the ticket?

The big jackpot win

The winning ticket was purchased at Walmart Supercenter #1495, located at 7680 Brandt Pike in Huber Heights, for the July 3, 2024, drawing. The winning numbers for that drawing were 2, 26, 33, 55, and 57, and the Powerball number was 22. The Powerplay was 2X.

One lucky ticket matched all five of the winning numbers plus the Powerball to win the jackpot for that night, which was at $138 million.

Deadline coming up soon

The winning auto-pick is about to expire, though. The winner has until December 30, 2024, to claim their prize. Otherwise, the winning ticket will expire.

If they do make it to the Ohio Lottery headquarters to claim their winnings before that deadline, they will have the option to take the $138 million jackpot as an annuity or take the cash option prize of $65.8 million before taxes.

Other deadlines looming

While it's hard to imagine someone letting a $138 million Powerball jackpot slip through their fingers, it's not as rare as you might think for lottery prizes to go unclaimed. Across the country, other winning tickets are gathering dust, with the lucky winners risking the chance of transforming their lives and adding to their bank accounts.

Here's a look at some other big, unclaimed prizes still up for grabs nationwide:

• A $1.62 million Cash 5 ticket purchased in Mechanicsville, Virginia, for the June 11, 2024, drawing. The winning ticket matched all of the winning numbers drawn that night, which were 1, 12, 19, 22, and 31, to win the $1 million jackpot. The winning ticket was purchased at Wawa, located at 7847 Compass Point Lane in Mechanicsville. The ticket will expire after 5 p.m. ET on December 9, 2024, if no one claims it in time.
• A $150,000 Powerball ticket purchased in Lycoming County, Pennsylvania, for the Monday, December 11, 2023, drawing. The winning white balls for that drawing were 1, 24, 27, 31, and 62, and the Powerball was 20. The winning ticket was purchased at Weis Markets, located at 2186 State Route 54 in Montgomery. The winning ticket is set to expire on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, if no one claims it by then.
• A $1.13 billion Mega Millions ticket purchased in Monmouth County, New Jersey, for the Tuesday, March 26, 2024, drawing remains unclaimed. The winning numbers for that drawing were 7, 11, 22, 29, and 38, and the Mega Ball was 4. The lucky winner purchased the ticket at ShopRite Liquor #781, located at 2200 Route 66 in Neptune Township. The winner has until March 26, 2025, to claim their prize.

Enjoy playing the Ohio Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.