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What happens when lottery money isn't claimed in Arizona?

In the past fiscal year, $11.6 million in winnings have gone unclaimed, according to lottery officials.

GOODYEAR, Ariz — The winner of a $14.6 million lottery prize never showed up.

The deadline to claim the prize was 5 p.m. Monday evening.

Lottery officials have been waiting for nearly six months for someone to claim the money after the winning ticket was bought in the West Valley.

When Doug Mohan heard there was a $14.6 million lottery ticket still unclaimed he figured why not check to see if he’d won.

"I have a few tickets I haven’t checked. So I heard about this 14 million and thought 'I better come down here and see how much money I blew and wasted'," Mohan said.

Mohan didn’t win the big prize and whoever did win didn’t claim it within the 180-day time frame. The ticket was bought at a Circle K on Litchfield Road and Van Buren Street in Goodyear on June 5.

"It's 14.6 million dollars and that comes out to a cash option prize of just over nine million," Arizona Lottery spokesperson John Gilliland said. 

Gilliland says that’s what the winner would’ve gotten if they claimed the prize. The Circle K would have gotten $10,000. 

But now that we know it wasn’t claimed--- what’s next?

"All unclaimed prize money is determined by state statute where that money goes," Gilliland said. 

Gilliland says 30% goes to the Court Appointed Special Advocates program

  • Up to $250,000 goes to the Dual Tribal Enrollment Fund.
  •  $835,000 goes to fight internet crimes against children .
  • The remaining unclaimed prize money is used to fund prizes for new games

As for Doug Mohan he says he’s always looking on the bright side. Even though he didn’t win big this time he still won something.

"Look, I won two dollars on a four dollar ticket, but I’m still two in the hole," Mohan said. 

In the past fiscal year, from July 2018 to June 2019, $11.6 million in winnings have gone unclaimed.

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