Two Winning Powerball Tickets Unclaimed, Lottery Urges Players to Check Slips

Posted on: April 21, 2022, 01:14h. 

Last updated on: April 21, 2022, 02:09h.

Devin O'Connor @CasinoorgDevinO Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Commercial Gaming, Legislation, Politics.

Two winning Powerball tickets in Michigan are nearing expiration. Michigan Lottery officials are urging players who purchased game tickets a year ago to check their numbers to make sure the winnings are not forfeited.

Powerball jackpot Michigan Lottery winner
A stock photo of a Powerball ticket purchased in Michigan. Michigan Lottery officials are urging Powerball players who played the popular game in April and May of 2021 to recheck their ticket slips to see if they won unredeemed prizes of $1 million and $150,000. (Image: Michigan Lottery)

On its winners’ blog, the Michigan Lottery has made several posts regarding unclaimed winning Powerball tickets. In a post earlier this month, the lottery says a winning ticket from May 5, 2021, worth $1 million has still not been redeemed.

In a later post, state lottery officials revealed that another winning Powerball ticket — this one worth $150,000 — has also not been redeemed. The smaller Powerball winning ticket was won during the April 24, 2021, drawing of the multi-state lottery game.

Powerball redemption rules vary by state. Each Powerball participating lottery is free to determine the time to claim a prize. The time frames vary greatly, from 90 days to one year, depending on where the ticket was sold.

Michigan Lottery rules provide Powerball winners with 365 days from the draw to claim their prize. If the $1 million and $150,000 winning tickets are not redeemed, the funds will go towards the Michigan School Aid Fund.

Winning Details

The $1 million Powerball ticket that hit on May 5, 2021, was purchased at the Warren Market, located at 28069 Mount Road in Warren, Mi. The player correctly picked the five white balls — 16-23-28-40-63.

The $150,000 Powerball win on April 24 of last year hit four white ball numbers plus the Powerball. The ticket had purchased the optional $1 add-on Power Play option. The multiplier was 3x that night, which tripled the win from $50,000 to $150,000. The April 24 ticket was purchased at the Pine Knob Wine Shoppe, located at 5726 Maybee Road in Clarkson. The winning numbers for that night’s draw were 22-36-48-59-61 and PB 22.

The Michigan Lottery says the winning tickets must be redeemed by 4:45 pm EDT on the 2021 dates of the draws. That means just a week remains for the $150,000 winner, and only two weeks are left for the $1 million redemption.

The odds of hitting four white balls and the Powerball are 1 in 913,129. The odds of matching all five white balls are 1 in more than 11.68 million.

Some Winners Take Their Time

Lottery experts say it’s often smart for players who win large sums of money to take their time in redeeming their tickets. Financial and legal experts are typically consulted when a Powerball or Mega Millions jackpot is hit, as the payouts present various redemption options with differing tax complications.

However, it’s important that winners find reputable assistance. As Casino.org reported back in 2020, the feds brought charges against Jason Kurland — the so-called “Lottery Lawyer” — on allegations that he stole more than $70 million from the South Carolina woman who won the record $1.537 billion Mega Millions jackpot in October of 2018.

Kurland is accused of swindling more than $100 million from his lottery-winning clients. The case is ongoing.