Louisiana Lottery Has Over $2.23 Million in Unclaimed Cash Prizes

Things have been kind of quiet for lottery players in Louisiana over the past two weeks. Usually, lottery players in the state are good for at least a $10,000 win or larger every other week. But, other than a $60,000 win in the Easy 5 game on the 2nd the state's lottery players haven't picked up a "big win" this month.

Maybe the reason the state's lottery crowd hasn't hit the big money is because their attention has been focused elsewhere. We have had the start of football season plus wildfires and the searing heat and there has been a threat of tropical weather too. Maybe those diversions have also taken some of our attention away from our pursuit of "champagne wishes and caviar dreams".

That being said the current estimated annuitized jackpot for the multi-state Powerball game will be over half a billion dollars on Wednesday. It's $550 million for those who were looking for a more exact number. The other multi-state lottery game Mega Millions which draws tonight, September 12, 2023, has an estimated top prize of $141 million for the annuitized jackpot.

But while we haven't had winners lately we have had winners in the not-to-distant past and for some of those winners, the time is running out to collect on your good fortune. There are currently two big-money Powerball winners, a $50,000 winner and a $100,000 winner from the April 22nd drawing that has yet to be claimed. If those tickets aren't spoken for by October 19th, that money goes back to the lottery.

The largest unclaimed prize on the Louisiana Lottery's list of "what are you waiting for" is a single ticket that has been valued at $1,900,000.00. That's a lot of zeroes and that's a lot of money, almost $2 million dollars are unclaimed from the August 30th Lotto drawing. Just for the record all three of the big-money tickets that have yet to be claimed were purchased in the New Orleans area.

Incidentally, by rule, all unclaimed lottery winnings must be returned to players in the form of prizes and promotions. The Louisiana Lottery does this by offering increased payouts on scratch-offs and by offering additional second-chance promotions. So, no, the state doesn't keep the money.

And, if you're going to play a lottery draw game, we suggest you purchase your ticket within 50 miles of I-10. Why, you ask? According to the Louisiana Lottery's stats page, more than 70% of all big-money lottery winners are sold along the I-10 corridor, give or take 50 miles on either side. Hey, you can't argue with stats, right?

And if you like to play the scratch-offs you'll probably want to check out a couple of new games the Lousiana Lottery has just introduced. There's Blackjack for $1 and Wild 10s for $2. You might also select Bonus Star Bonanza for $3.

Of course, we always remind you to play within your limits, and don't forget to collect your cash if you win. If you do need help with a gambling problem please reach out by calling 1-877-770 STOP (7867) for a free and confidential referral to a counselor who is standing by to assist you.