What Happens to Unclaimed Lottery Winnings?
A lucky South Australian recently won a $150 million Powerball jackpot, but what happens to unclaimed lottery prizes? The answer varies depending on the state or territory.
In Queensland, New South Wales, and the ACT, there's a deadline of seven years to claim a prize. Unclaimed money in these states can be used to support non-profit organizations. For example, a Queensland winner who finds their ticket after seven years and two months wouldn't be able to claim their prize.
In Western Australia, unclaimed prizes after 12 months are returned to the community through Lotterywest grants.
Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia, and the Northern Territory have more lenient rules. Winners have 12 months to claim directly, after which the prize money goes to the relevant state government body. However, winners can still claim the prize indefinitely through specific processes. This means even if the recent $150 million winner waited beyond the 12-month period, they would still receive their windfall.
Currently, there are 19 unclaimed division one and major lottery prizes worth almost $15 million. These include nine in NSW, seven in Queensland, two in the ACT, and one in South Australia. Late last year, a $1 million winning ticket purchased on the Sunshine Coast expired after the seven-year deadline, and the money was transferred to the Queensland government.