Months after officials announced that a Mega Millions ticket sold in South Carolina had matched the numbers to claim a $1.5 billion jackpot, the prize remained unclaimed.
State lottery officials on Oct. 24 announced the winning ticket, which matched all six numbers in the Mega Millions drawing, had been sold at KC Mart #7 in Simpsonville.
"Because this is such an unprecedented sum of money, we recognize it might take the winner a little bit longer than normal (to claim their prize)," Holli Armstrong, communications coordinator for the South Carolina Education Lottery, told WLTX on Monday. "We want to encourage anyone who purchased a ticket from KC Mart #7 on Lee Vaughn Road in Simpsonville to please check your tickets!"
State lottery officials said the winner has 180 days from the draw date to claim his or her prize. Armstrong told WLTX the deadline for the Mega Millions jackpot will be April 19, 2019.
“You need to sign the back of that winning ticket, you need to secure that ticket in a safe location (and) then you need to speak with someone you trust, like a lawyer or a financial adviser,” Armstrong told the news station.
If no one claims the jackpot, the prize money will be split among the states that contributed to the fund.
The $1.5 billion Mega Millions jackpot was the largest in the game’s history. The winning numbers were 5, 28, 62, 65, 70. The Mega Ball was 5.
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