It’s been a month since a $1.34 billion lottery ticket was sold, but a winner still has not claimed the prize. Let us explain what could happen …
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00:00It's been a month since the winning numbers for a $1.34 billion Mega Millions were drawn.
00:05And a winner still hasn't claimed the prize.
00:07So how long does the winner have to come forward?
00:10And what happens if the jackpot money goes unclaimed?
00:12Brute can explain in less than 60 seconds.
00:14It's been one month since a $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot ticket
00:20was sold in an Illinois gas station.
00:22According to the state's lottery rules,
00:24the winner can claim his or her jackpot money up to a year after the draw date.
00:28And because the prize is over $250,000, the winner can also choose to remain anonymous.
00:34But if the money goes unclaimed, however,
00:36each state that participated in the Mega Millions game will get back the money it contributed.
00:41Each state can decide what to do with the returned money,
00:43but most opt to put it back into its state lottery fund.
00:46In the history of the Mega Millions game, only three jackpots have gone unclaimed,
00:50with the largest unclaimed prize being $68 million,
00:54which could have gone to a single ticket holder in New York in 2002.