You might be sitting on a winning lottery ticket, so you'll definitely want to check your pockets and purses.
The New York Lottery announced that an unclaimed Mega Millions prize-winning ticket worth a whopping $1 million is about the expire next month. Anyone who happened to purchase a Mega Millions ticket in Nassau County, New York, may be sitting on a massive lump of cash.
The unclaimed ticket was the second prize-winning ticket sold at Cold Cut Express located at 507 Dubois Avenue in Valley Stream. The ticket is set to expire on Dec. 13, 2025, so you'll need to act fast,
The winning numbers for the Dec. 13, 2024, Mega Millions draw were 36, 43, 52, 58, and 65, and the Mega Ball number was 16. New York lottery officials reported that the winner matched five of the winning numbers.
“Felt like there’s been something missing this year?” the New York Lottery wrote on a Facebook post last week. “Check your old tickets to make sure it’s not that you’re the Mega Millions winner whose ticket is about to expire.”
Prizes may be claimed up to one year after the draw, so the lucky $1 million prize winner is running out of time to collect their prize.
New York Lottery officials stated at the time of the Dec. 13, 2024, drawing announcement that over 1.2 million winning tickets across all non-jackpot prize levels were sold. The unclaimed New York ticket was one of four second prizes, with the other winning tickets being claimed in California, Massachusetts, and Vermont.
If you have even a slight inkling that you purchased a Mega Millions ticket at Cold Cut Express nearly a year ago, it’s time to not leave any stone unturned in your house or car. Who knows — the $1 million prize money might be yours.
The New York Lottery advises players that if they have the winning ticket, they need to sign the back of the ticket and keep it in a safe place.
Then you can call the New York Lottery at 518-388-3370 or visit www.nylottery.ny.gov to claim your prize.
According to the New York Lottery’s website, if the prize is valued over $600, then winners can claim it at any New York Lottery Customer Service Center, Prize Claim Center, or by mail.
In order to redeem your prize, you will need the winning ticket, a filled-out winner claim form, a valid government-issued ID, and a valid Social Security number or FEIN.
The New York Lottery is North America’s largest and most profitable lottery. In the fiscal year 2024-2025, the Lottery contributed $3.6 billion to support education in New York State.
The odds of winning the jackpot in the New York Lottery are 1 in 45,057,474. The odds of winning the second prize are 1 in 7,509,579.00.
The overall odds of winning a single panel are 1 in 92.05.
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