Biggest Unclaimed Lottery Wins

Dan Tracey Data Scientist and Football Editor

Writer, analyst, podcaster, Spurs fan. Three out of four is not bad. If there is a data angle, I will find it.

Picture the scene. Your lottery numbers have just come in, and you are ready to pop the champagne corks that come after winning an obscene amount of riches. However, there is one small problem – you cannot find the winning ticket.

Is it in your work trousers? It’s not in your wallet or the bedside table, so where can it be? The house turned upside down, obscenities being shouted at your partner as the search for the one thing that can change your life remains unfulfilled.

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What was reason to be cheerful has now turned into disaster. Millions of pounds sitting unclaimed as you cannot prove that you are this week’s big winner. All you can do is think about what could have been as the stark reality of a missing ticket kicks in.

The Current Situation

This situation may soon affect some individuals in the UK and with a number of unclaimed prizes currently in operation, we may be able to provide a nudge to a select handful who may be sitting on a pile of unknown riches.

Prize Amount	Lottery Type	Area of Purchase	Claim Deadline
£1,000,000	EuroMillions	Swansea	16/04/2025
£10,000	Set For Life	Kent	22/04/2025
£84,935.20	EuroMillions	Kent	04/05/2025
£321,840.60	EuroMillions	Hampshire	18/05/2025
£137,981.30	EuroMillions	Cambridgeshire	29/05/2025
£57,918.40	EuroMillions	London	04/06/2025
£1,000,000	Lotto	Buckinghamshire	12/06/2025
£1,000,000	EuroMillions	Wiltshire	25/06/2025
£68,232.20	EuroMillions	London	13/07/2025
£66,244.60	EuroMillions	London	23/07/2025

Whether it be £1 Million from the EuroMillions or a monthly Set For Life prize of £10,000, there is still plenty of money that is still to be claimed under the auspices of the UK’s National Lottery and when you look at this from a regional perspective, we can also see where the biggest prizes are.

Area of Purchase	Sort
Swansea	£1,000,000
Buckinghamshire	£1,000,000
Wiltshire	£1,000,000
Hampshire	£321,840.60
London	£192,395.20
Cambridgeshire	£137,981.30
Kent	£94,935.20

It is a three-way tie at the top as there are trio of unclaimed prizes each worth £1 Million situated within Swansea, Buckinghamshire and Wiltshire – which means a frantic search down the sideboard may be required in these locations.

While just over £300k has gone unclaimed within Hampshire at present. £321k to be precise and £129k more than that of the UK’s own capital city London, with the home of Big Ben currently home to three unclaimed prizes.

Just £55k further back from London is the county of Cambridgeshire as £137k is currently sitting unclaimed and things are even more interesting within Kent. Not only is nearly £85k in lottery winnings sitting unclaimed but there is also the ongoing fortune of a Set For Life ticket.

That winning ticket would allow somebody to claim £10k a month for the next 30 years. £10k a month for 360 months or £3.6 Million in total by the time all the money was paid out – if someone can find their ticket before the end of April, life will become a lot more comfortable for them.

Biggest Unclaimed Wins

However, you can take the smallest solace from not being the only person to have suffered such heartbreak and with that in mind, it is time to take a look at the 11 biggest unclaimed lottery wins on either side of the Atlantic Ocean.

1. $1.1 Billion (£869 Million) (Mega Millions) - March 26, 2024 - Neptune Township, New Jersey, USA

Currently standing as the largest unclaimed lottery prize ever and likely to stay at the top unless a winner ever comes forward, an eye-watering $1.1 billion Mega Millions jackpot was won in March 2024.

Purchased at a ShopRite Liquor store in Neptune Township, New Jersey, the ticket matched all numbers but no winner has ever come forward and it remains a mystery why the winner never came forward for what would have been a life-changing sum.

Given the size of the prize, speculation soon arose about whether the winner was aware that they were sitting on a huge bundle of riches or if something prevented them from claiming it and for as long as more than a billion dollars is sitting their unclaimed, we will never know the reason why.

2. $81.28 Million (£64 Million) (EuroMillions) - June 8, 2012 - Stevenage and Hitchin, UK

Sitting second in the list and were it not for the huge Mega Millions prize above, this would be the biggest unclaimed lottery prize of all time. Then again, £64 Million is far from an amount that should be sniffed at.

This massive EuroMillions jackpot was won in the UK 13 years ago and despite extensive media campaigns and appeals from lottery officials, the ticket holder never emerged to claim such a substantial prize.

Due to this, it remains one of the biggest mysteries in UK lottery history and after 180 days, the prize was forfeited. Therefore, the amount was added to the National Lottery's Good Causes fund, benefiting charities and public projects.

3. $77 Million (£60.83 Million) (Powerball) - June 29, 2011 - Georgia, USA

A year before the huge unclaimed EuroMillions prize above went unclaimed, there was single ticket in Georgia that matched all numbers for a $77 million Powerball jackpot. However, the 2011 prize remained unclaimed with some theories suggesting that the ticket was lost or discarded.

Despite ongoing efforts from state lottery officials to find the winner, no one ever came forward. This meant the substantial prize went unclaimed and once again the money was eventually reallocated to future lottery funding and educational programs.

4. $68 Million (£53.72 Million) (Mega Millions) - December 24, 2002 - Queens, New York, USA

Fourth in the list and another offering from the Mega Millions as there should have been plenty of festive cheer on Christmas Eve of 2002. However the winner of a $68 Million jackpot prize never came forward.

The ticket was sold in Queens, New York, and remains one of the biggest unclaimed prizes in US history. Many have speculated whether the ticket was accidentally thrown away in the festive rush or if the winner simply never checked their numbers – either way, it was a costly error.

5. $63 Million (£49.77 Million) (SuperLotto Plus) - August 8, 2015 - California, USA

This SuperLotto Plus jackpot ticket that was sold in California a decade ago, had many hopefuls believing a lucky winner would soon step forward and rightfully collect their $63 Million winnings, but no one ever did.

The California Lottery even released surveillance footage of a woman they believed might be the winner, but in keeping with the current theme she never came forward. The prize money was eventually redirected to educational funding in the state.

6. $51.7 Million (£40.84 Million) (Powerball) - February 11, 2005 - Indiana, USA

Ten years prior to the SuperLotto Plus prize going unclaimed in California, there was a Powerball ticket worth $51.7 million went unclaimed in Indiana, leaving lottery officials stunned as to why nobody decided to come forward.

The state’s lottery board urged players to double-check old tickets, but the money remained unclaimed. As per state rules, the winnings were ultimately returned to the lottery fund for future prizes and public programs.

7. $46 Million (£36.34 Million) (Mega Millions) - April 25, 2003 - New York, USA

Another massive Mega Millions prize was left on the table when a $46 million jackpot was won in New York some 22 years ago. Worth £36 Million in today’s money, that prize is now worth nothing at all.

The circumstances surrounding the unclaimed ticket remain unknown, but it is speculated that the winner either lost their ticket or was unaware of their win before the deadline and once again, this meant that the prize fund was eventually redistributed.

8. $31 Million (£24.49 Million) (Mega Millions) - August 1, 2006 - Queens, New York, USA

Four years after $68 Million went unclaimed in Queens, this area of New York appears again on the list with a $31 million unclaimed Mega Millions jackpot – maybe residents have a relaxed approach to keeping lottery tickets in safe places?

The prize remained untouched despite announcements and warnings about the claim deadline. Some lottery enthusiasts believe the winner may have been an occasional player who forgot to check their ticket.

9. $16.5 Million (£13.03 Million) (Florida Lotto) - December 14, 2013 - Florida, USA

This 2013 Florida Lotto prize was left unclaimed despite efforts to identify the winner. The mystery remains unsolved, and many wonder if the ticket was simply misplaced or if the winner was unaware of their fortune. Like many other unclaimed prizes, the money was returned to the state lottery fund.

10. $15 Million (£11.85 Million) (Powerball) - December 26, 2012 - Louisiana, USA

Just a day after Christmas 2012, someone in Louisiana won a $15 million Powerball jackpot but never came forward. Some have suggested the winner may have been a traveller who lost the ticket before they could claim their winnings.

11. $14.6 Million (£11.53 Million) (Florida Lotto) - June 8, 2013 - Florida, USA

Another unclaimed Florida Lotto prize, this $14.6 million jackpot was lost to history after the winner failed to meet the claim deadline. Given its size, it is surprising that no one stepped forward but as per the state’s rules, this is another prize that would eventually be redistributed.