Two $2 Million Lottery Tickets About to Expire, Leaving Millions for California Schools
Two lucky winners who purchased lottery tickets in Southern California earlier this year have just days left to claim their multi-million dollar prizes. If they miss the deadline, the prize money will go to public schools in California. The first ticket, a Mega Millions ticket worth $2,151,945, was bought at the Stater Bros. at 69255 Ramon Road in Cathedral City for the March 5 drawing. The ticket matched the numbers 2, 49, 50, 61, and 70, but missed the Mega number 14. The winner has until 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 11, to claim the prize. The second ticket, a Powerball ticket worth $2,462,356, was sold at the 7-Eleven at 12500 Roscoe Boulevard in Sun Valley for the March 23 drawing. This ticket matched the numbers 6, 23, 25, 34, and 51, but missed the Powerball number 3. The winner has until Sept. 19 to claim their winnings.
Key Takeaways:
- Two lottery tickets purchased in Southern California are about to expire.
- The winning Mega Millions ticket has a claim deadline of August 11th and the winning Powerball ticket has a deadline of September 19th.
- Both tickets are worth over $2 million each.
- If the winners don’t claim their prizes, the money will go to California public schools.
How to Claim Your Winning Lottery Ticket
According to the California Lottery, winners can claim their prizes at one of the nine state Lottery offices. They must bring their winning ticket with them. If they are unable to get to a Lottery office in person, winners can mail the ticket and a completed claim form to the California Lottery Headquarters in Sacramento. However, the ticket must be postmarked on or before the deadline. If winners are concerned about theft or damage, they can also consider contacting the Lottery before mailing their valuable ticket.
Unclaimed Lottery Prizes Fund Public Education
Since lottery tickets first went on sale in California in 1985, over $1.1 billion in unclaimed prizes has been raised for public education. The use of unclaimed lottery funds for public schools was enshrined in the California Constitution in 1985 with support from California voters who felt public schools were being starved for funding. The California Lottery was designed to provide a source of revenue to be dedicated to education in the state. Since 1985, the California Lottery has given nearly $38 billion to California schools.
Examples of How Lottery Funds Are Used
Unclaimed lottery funds are distributed every year to public schools in California. These funds are used to support all levels of education. Here are a few examples of how the lottery funds are used:
- Purchasing new books and other educational materials.
- Funding educational programs, such as after-school programs, counseling services, and college and career readiness programs.
- Investing in new technology for classrooms, such as computers, tablets, and interactive whiteboards.
- Supporting teacher training programs.
Lottery Numbers Can Be Found on the California Lottery Website
Winners can check their lottery numbers online at www.calottery.com. The website also includes information about the various games offered by the California Lottery, as well as how to claim prizes.
Lottery Games Offered in California
The California Lottery offers a variety of lottery games, including:
- Mega Millions: This is a multi-state lottery game with jackpots that can often reach hundreds of millions of dollars.
- Powerball: Another multi-state lottery game with large jackpots.
- SuperLotto Plus: A California-only lottery game with jackpots that can reach tens of millions of dollars.
- Fantasy 5: A California-only lottery game with smaller jackpots, but with drawings every night.
- Daily 4: A California-only lottery game with drawings four times a day.
- Daily 3: A California-only lottery game with drawings four times a day.
- Scratchers: A variety of scratch-off games with various prize amounts.
Tips for Playing the Lottery
- Set a budget: Don’t spend more money on lottery tickets than you can afford to lose.
- Play responsibly: The odds of winning the lottery are very low. Don’t let playing the lottery become an addiction.
- Think about what would happen if you won: If you were to win a large sum of money, it’s important to have a plan for how you would use it. Would you quit your job? How would you invest your winnings?
- Don’t procrastinate: If you think you might have a winning ticket, don’t wait to claim it. The deadline for claiming prizes is relatively short, and you don’t want to miss out on a large sum of money.
While the odds of winning the lottery are very long, this is a reminder that those odds can change in an instant. If you hold one of those winning lottery tickets, then now is your chance to claim that life-changing prize. But if you don’t, now is a good time to look into the California Lottery and see how you can contribute to California’s public schools through responsible play.
