Someone bought a Powerball lottery ticket in Escondido — worth more than $1.5 million — but it’s about to pass on to California public schools if the winner doesn’t claim it by next week.
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The winner, who bought the ticket at Varso Gas on the corner of Escondido Boulevard and Brotherton Road, has had 180 days since the drawing in February to claim their prize, but that deadline is approaching on Aug. 20, according to the California Lottery. After that, the winner will not be able to claim the $1.5 million ticket, and it will go to public schools in California, as required by law.
The winning ticket matched 27, 28, 36, 48, 49.
During the last fiscal year, $44.9 million worth of unclaimed tickets went to public schools, said Daniel Kelly, California Lottery spokesperson. He said it’s common for tickets of low value to go unclaimed, but not for ones this large.
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He couldn’t speak to the reasons why some tickets don’t get claimed, but said, “most of the time, it’s missed.”
Kelly urged people who have purchased Powerball tickets to recheck them, and if they believe they won, to bring the ticket and a valid government-issued photo identification to a California Lottery district office and complete a claim form, which is available online or at any district office.
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