Posted on 12/27/2018 4:17:55 PM PST by NRx
In late October, Mega Millions announced that someone had won its $1.5 billion jackpot. But two months have passed and still, no one has come forward to claim the enormous prize, Josh Whiteside, director of marketing at the South Carolina Education Lottery, tells CNBC Make It.
"Everyone's talking about it," said Jee Patel, the manager of the KC Mart in Simpsonville, South Carolina, where the winning ticket was purchased. "It's a mystery."
The winner, who beat the odds of 1 in 302 million, gets 180 days, or until April 21, to collect before the ticket expires.
If the prize goes unclaimed by the deadline, according to the Mega Millions website, "each participating state in the Mega Millions game will get back all the money that state contributed to the unclaimed jackpot."
States set their own priorities on how they spend that unclaimed prize money. "In Maryland and some other states, for example, unclaimed winnings go into pots for player prizes related to second-chance games and promotions and other bonus prizes," reports Slate. "Unclaimed lottery winnings in Wisconsin go to the state's general fund and are used for property tax relief. Georgia reserves some of its for treatment for gambling addiction."
In South Carolina, unclaimed winnings are put in a fund typically used for educational expenses. Throughout the country, states spend a significant portion of lottery proceeds on education.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnbc.com ...
Yep.
Plus, possibly waiting for the hype to fade a bit more.
What are they waiting for?
Imagine if the guy (or gal) lost the ticket, does not know it is a winner, or died.
You might it you live in a high tax state and need to establish residency in a low tax state before claiming your winnings.
If we are talking Ca, NJ, NY pr IL we are talking tens of millions of dollars.
We're talking SC here so that is probably not the case.
“Imagine if the guy (or gal) lost the ticket, does not know it is a winner, or died.”
Better yet.
Imagine that the guy knows he won, but lost the ticket.
Maybe his wife put it in the washing machine.
Maybe they were caught and deported, in the interim.
The winner probably dropped dead after learning they won $1.5 billion. News item: Body found 2 months after person last seen.
“Throughout the country, states spend a significant portion of lottery proceeds on education.”
BS.
L
Or maybe he promised his mistress he'd give her half, never thinking he would win. Then again, for $1.5 billion he probably doesn't care if his wife finds out.
Magnificent movie. One of my all-time favorites.
CA doesn’t tax lottery winnings, oddly enough.
Nobody wants to pay the taxes.
Well, rules is rules. Or they used to be.
That’s why I’m hesitant to buy any more. My luck probably ran out on a winning ticket I forgot about! :-D
The unclaimed funds should go back into the jackpot. It is the only way to keep it honest.
You oughta know by now...
Fine. I walk away with $15 million if they take 99% of it.
It was purchased by some tweaker who lost the damn thing...
I would if my team of lawyers are setting up an air-tight fund (or corporation or whatever) to hold the money for me.
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