Officials have been searching for the winner for months, hoping to find the new millionaire as soon as possible.
Millions of Americans lose millions of dollars each year because they do not enter the lottery.
Chiefs at the Illinois Lottery are working to prevent this from happening again.
According to the official website, the unclaimed Powerball ticket was drawn on December 21, 2024 and purchased in Melrose Park, Illinois.
According to the Powerball rules, players have one year from the day of the game drawing to claim the winning ticket.
If this does not occur, the player’s identity will remain unknown, and the money will not be distributed to its proper owner.
There is a lot to consider when filing a claim, particularly how you want to receive your cah.
One decision could have a significant impact on how much money you ultimately receive.
Players can choose to receive the money in a lump sum or in annuity form, such as in installments.
Illinois is one of the states that taxes lottery winnings.
According to the Illinois government website, any proceeds of more than $5,000 in a single payment form are subject to taxation.
The state levies a 4.95% tax on lottery winnings.
This is important to consider when deciding whether to take everything all at once or in bite-sized portions.
Calculating how much you will lose in taxes will vary depending on the amounts and states.
MORE MONEY
There is even more unclaimed cash that needs a place to rest its weary head.
Starting even higher, a $1.1 million prize was drawn on September 8, 2024, in Chicago.
Players are also encouraged to step forward if they believe they have the numbers to walk away with the life-changing amount.
Another $1 million is available for the taking, this time in the Mega Millions.
It was purchased in Belmont, Chicago, on February 25, 2025.
This gives the winner more time to come forward, assuming they can wait that long.
Others would rush to claim the $1 million as soon as they learned about it, but everyone has the right to wait the entire year if they so desire.
There are also unclaimed games in Illinois worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, ranging from $405,002 to a reasonable $100,000.
To view all of the unclaimed games, visit the Illinois Lottery website.
