Indiana resident successfully claimed $1M Powerball prize minutes before ticket expiration date.
Unclaimed $1 Million Powerball Ticket Redeemed in Indiana
In a dramatic turn of events, a $1 million Powerball ticket sold in Indiana has been claimed, just in time before it was due to expire. The ticket, which was found by a couple from Kendallville on Christmas Day, was one of two tickets that matched all five white balls during the drawing on June 29, 2024.
The Hoosier Lottery launched an extensive communication drive to warn players about the unclaimed ticket. The other ticket was sold in New Jersey, but its whereabouts remain unknown. Had the ticket also matched the red Powerball, the winners would have claimed the $115.5 million jackpot.
Unfortunately, both tickets did not purchase the optional $1 add-on Power Play that would have doubled their payouts to $2 million. The Powerball play matched the white balls: 26, 51, 54, 61, and 69.
The redemption of the Indiana ticket on January 2, 2025, marks the end of a long search for the lucky winners. The couple searched their vehicle, including deep between the seats, and found the winning ticket at 4 a.m. Christmas morning. The ticket was set to expire five hours after redemption, according to Indiana's lottery law which requires redemption to occur within 180 days of the drawing.
Unclaimed lottery winnings are not uncommon in the United States. An estimated $3 billion worth of lottery tickets go unclaimed each year across the country. In 2023, a $46 million Mega Millions prize sold in Brooklyn also remained unclaimed and expired. In 2022, a $68 million Mega Millions ticket in New York went uncashed.
The $1 million win is subjected to a federal tax of 37%, and Indiana also considers lottery winnings as taxable income with a 3.05% tax. In the past, unclaimed Powerball jackpots have made headlines. In 2013, a $50 million Powerball ticket sold in Florida became worthless, and in 2011, a Powerball jackpot worth $77 million in Georgia was not redeemed before expiration.
Despite the search results not reporting any person in Indiana winning a $1 million Powerball prize in December 2024 after an unlawfully extended 180-day claim period, the lucky couple from Kendallville can now breathe a sigh of relief. Their Christmas miracle has come just in time!
