Lottery warning to check tickets for unclaimed $2.9 million lotto jackpot
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A WINNING lottery ticket remains unclaimed and its owner is in for millions.
The Lotto game in Missouri has a $2.9 million winner from an April 3 drawing.
The ticket was bought at the Wentzville Moto in Wentzville, a suburb of St. Louis.
The winning numbers are 6, 8, 12, 15, 17, and 19.
The holder of the winning ticket has until September 30, 2024 to come forward to claim their prize.
WHAT IS LOTTO?
Lotto is an in-state game.
For this Lotto game in Missouri, it costs $1 for two plays.
The jackpot starts at $1 million and grows until someone wins.
"EZ Match" is offered as an add-on and costs an additional $1 for two Lotto plays.
HOW TO PLAY LOTTO
Players use a Lotto slip to mark two sets of six different numbers between one and 44.
There is also a "Quick Pick" option in which the computer will randomly choose your numbers.
You can also pick the "Multi-Draw" where you play the same numbers for up to 15 consecutive drawings.
Lotto can be played for one, two, three, four, five, 10 or 15 consecutive drawings.
LOTTO WINNERS WHO LOST IT ALL
HOW TO WIN
The overall chances of winning a prize in the Missouri Lotto game is one in 10 for every $1 played, according to the Missouri Lottery.
- Match three out of six numbers, you get a free ticket.
- Match four out of six numbers, you will receive an average prize of $29.
- Match five out of six numbers, you will receive an average prize of $715.
- Match all six numbers and you win the jackpot.
The drawings are held on Wednesday and Saturday nights.
Lottery prizes: Lump sum vs Annuity
Lottery winners need to decide whether to take a big jackpot as a lump sum or as annuity payments.
What is a lump sum?
- Lottery winners can accept a one-time cash payout.
- Although a winner would lose a chunk of their payout to taxes, they would likely lose more over time with annual payments.
What are annual payments?
- Installments are paid out as one immediate payment followed by a series of payments every year.
- This guarantees money to come in for years or even decades, but some winners worry tax rates may increase over time.
LOTTO LOSSES
Winners have to decide how to claim their prize.
In Missouri, Lotto jackpot rules state you can choose to receive the full amount in 25 payments through 24 years, minus taxes.
There is also the lump-sum option. This gives winners about half of the prize amount.
Winners have exactly 60 days from the claiming date to choose the cash option.
If a winner doesn't make a decision by that time, Lotto jackpot prizes are automatically paid out in 25 annual payments.
WINNER WOES
People who have come into a big jackpot quickly learn all the money is not theirs.
A Powerball winner out of New York won $2 million after buying the ticket at a cigar shop but lost nearly half to taxes when they received their prize.
In North Carolina, a man won $2 million from a $20 scratch-off ticket, but he couldn't keep all his prize money.
He was hit with a 24% federal tax on top of a 5.25% state tax bill.
Meanwhile, a New York winner won the $9.6 million jackpot but took home slightly more than a third of the prize.
Plus, a lottery millionaire ran out of prize money in just eight years.
Remember to gamble responsibly
A responsible gambler is someone who:
- Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
- Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
- Never chase their losses
- Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry, or depressed
If you or someone you know is struggling with gambling addiction, call the National Gambling Helpline at 1-800-522-4700 or visit the National Council on Problem Gambling online.
