SAINT PAUL, MN—Tomorrow, at 5 pm, one unlucky Minnesotan will forfeit $1 million in unclaimed Power Ball winnings from a ticket purchased in Hennepin County. Just last week, a winner in Wright County forfeited a $100,000 prize too. Winning lottery tickets that go unclaimed for a year are forfeited to the State. In 2014 Minnesota winners forfeited a stunning $9.4 million in unclaimed winnings.
State Rep. Joe Atkins will be introducing legislation tomorrow to help find these Minnesotans before they lose out on millions of dollars in winnings.
Rep. Atkins' legislation calls for the Minnesota Lottery to do two things with respect to winning tickets of $100,000 or more:
First, the Minnesota Lottery would now be required to publicize the location where the winning ticket was purchased as several other states currently do.
Second, if a winning Lottery ticket goes unclaimed for 10 months, the Lottery would review video footage and purchasing records from the store where the winning ticket was purchased in an effort to identify and notify the winner, if possible.
"It breaks my heart to see a $1 million prize be forfeited to the State," said Atkins. "Like the Minnesota Lottery ads say over and over, 'This is an amount that could change someone's life.' But not if the winner never gets their money. All I am proposing are a couple simple, common-sense steps to help Minnesotans get what belongs to them."
One year ago tomorrow, on March 26, 2014, the lucky Minnesotan selected winning numbers of 28-33-41-44-59 and a Powerball of 21. At 5pm tomorrow, this Minnesotan will become an unlucky Minnesotan.