$1 million in Powerball winnings still unclaimed

Someone is sitting on $1 million, and they may not even know it.

Mississippi Lottery Corporation Vice President of Communications Savannah Tirey told The Dispatch no one has claimed the $1 million lottery ticket pulled during the New Year’s Eve Powerball drawing.

The ticket was purchased at the Sprint Mart in Lowndes County at 5780 Hwy. 182 E. in Columbus, Tirey said.

This large prize will expire June 29 and must be claimed before then in order for the winner to receive the money. The winner is expected to provide the original winning ticket to receive their prize, as copies and photographs of the ticket will not be accepted.

If the ticket expires before it is claimed, Tirey said the winnings will go back into the game.

“We keep a running account of unclaimed prizes and it goes back into the games, so it might go into their prize structure or into the bonus promotions that we put on,” Tirey said.

The winnings will be subject to state and federal taxes. Winners have the right to remain anonymous or have their win publicized.

Due to the size of the prize, Tirey said this winning ticket must be claimed in person at the Mississippi Lottery Headquarters, located at 1080 River Oaks Drive, Bldg. B-100, in Flowood.

In order to determine if a ticket is a winner, download the MLC app, visit mslottery.com or stop by any of their retailers. Tirey recommended downloading the app that launched in November as it is the easiest and most convenient way to check if tickets are winners.

“Download the app so that you can easily check the ticket yourself,” Tirey said. “Since its launch in November, a lot of our players have been happy about that feature because they can check it right in the palm of their hands.”

While players should be conscious of the deadline to claim winnings, Tirey also advised winners to take their time to claim their prize if they need to meet with a financial adviser or make arrangements for how to handle the money.

“We want players to play responsibly and also use their prizes responsibly,” Tirey said.