The Mega Millions jackpot is estimated at $1.25 billion for tonight’s drawing. Iowa Lottery spokesperson Mary Neubauer says you can get caught up in the big number and forget about other prizes.
“There are nine ways to win prizes in games like Mega Millions and Powerball and Mega Millions in particular the prizes range from two dollars all the way up to the jackpot amount,” she says. That’s why she tells everyone to be sure you check for all prizes before throwing away tickets. An unclaimed one-million dollar prize for a ticket purchased in Ames is a good example.
“This Sunday, which is August 6th, will mark the one month countdown for that prize. It will expire on September 6th of this year if it’s not claimed in time,” Neubauer says. “And so we just we just continue to remind people about that prize but really just remind people to check for any prize you may have won.”
Neubauer looks at it this way: “I always jokingly say I think a million dollars would be better than a poke in the eye right? That’s why we always say of course the jackpot is significant, of course people are playing for the jackpot but there are many many other ways to win,” she says.
The odds are the million-dollar Ames ticket will go unclaimed.
“If a prize from a drawing is going to be claimed it is almost always claimed within the first six months after the prize was won,” she says. “We’ve we’ve looked at numbers from our recent drawings and about 97 percnet of the prizes won are claimed within that first six months.”
The Ames prize will go back into the prize pool if it is not claimed.