Mystery Millionaire Unclaimed $1M Powerball Ticket Lurks in St. Charles County

Somewhere in St. Charles County, someone is walking around with a $1 million winning Powerball ticket and apparently has no idea. Two weeks after the April 29 drawing, the Match-5 ticket is still unclaimed. It was sold at a Gas Mart convenience store in West Alton, and if no one steps forward within 180 days, the money will be shifted into Missouri public education under state rules.

The official April 29 winning numbers were 3, 19, 35, 51 and 67, with Powerball 15, according to Powerball. Matching all five white balls without the Powerball lands the fixed $1,000,000 Match-5 prize under the game’s prize structure, per Powerball.

Where the ticket was sold

The Missouri Lottery’s recent winners listing shows the $1 million Match-5 ticket was sold at Gas Mart 31, 14700 U.S. Highway 67 in West Alton, in St. Charles County. The retailer is listed on the Lottery’s April/May winners post that tracks large prizes and the outlets that sold them, according to Missouri Lottery.

How the claim window works

Under Missouri law, draw-game prizes must be claimed within 180 days of the drawing. If no one comes forward in that window, the money goes back into the state’s Lottery Proceeds Fund. The statute requires the Lottery to hold prize money for 180 days and then transfer any unclaimed funds, a setup that helps support Missouri public education, per Missouri Revisor of Statutes.

What the Lottery recommends

The Missouri Lottery urges players to sign the back of their tickets and stash them somewhere safe, and it offers Check-A-Ticket scanners and a mobile app so people can confirm their numbers. The Lottery’s unclaimed-prizes page lists current draw-game prizes of $50,000 or more that have not been claimed and provides claim instructions and contacts for regional offices, per Missouri Lottery.

Local coverage highlighted the unclaimed $1 million Match-5 ticket this week and urged anyone who bought Powerball tickets around the April 29 drawing to dig out old slips and check them carefully. For more on the local report, see FOX2.