Lottery horror stories always leave you reeling, and one Australian will have no doubt done exactly that when they realized they lost out on a $1 million prize.
The owner of the winning lottery ticket bought it from a BP Power station in Mawson Lakes, North Adelaide, on September 27, 2023.
When the lottery was drawn, the winning ticket earned the owner a huge AUD $1 million prize (around $680,000) - but they never came forward to claim it.
The winner would have had months to come forward, as the Lotto rules for South Australia mean that ticket owners must claim the prize within one year before it expires.
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But fast-forward to October 2024, and their time is officially up.
The big reason why the ticket holder missed their prize was because of this one simple mistake.
Lotto spokesperson Anna Hobdell said: “It’s likely our mystery winner has (been) going about their year as normal with no idea they became an overnight millionaire more than a year ago.
“If the mystery winner had registered their ticket to a player card or online, they would have already been united with their million-dollar treasure.”
You may be surprised to learn that there are different lottery expiration dates for different parts in Australia.
Whilst South Australia, Victoria and Tasmania ticket holders have one year to claim, in the Northern Territory, there is an extended period of lottery prizes.
Shockingly, there is a six year window to claim lotto prizes for ticket holders who live in New South Wales and the ACT.
But the longest window is in Queensland, which has up to seven years.
Though this mystery ticket holder has missed out on the traditional way of holding their ticket, there is still a glimmer of hope as there is still another way for them to claim the cash prize - but it'd be through a less traditional route.
The mystery winner would have to submit their original ticket, a prize claim form and an ex-gratia statutory declaration form with the commission.
This route would require an extra $22 fee that would cover the extra administrative costs the team would need to manifest the $1M funds - though let's face it, it's probably worth it.
Hodbell says that this case is an example that: "This also serves as an important reminder to register your tickets."
If you’re based in other parts of the world, it's worth checking the rules around the area you live if you are to play the lottery. Failing to thoroughly check could leave you in the same position as this mystery lottery ticket holder.
For example, in the US, typically the national Powerball lottery has a 180-day expiration date. But it's worth looking if there are any varying rules in the state in which you enter.
Maxine Harrison