
A $139 million winning Powerball Lottery ticket purchased in Ohio on July 3, 2024, has now expired. The Ohio Lottery invalidates any winning tickets 180 days after the numbers are drawn.
The (un)lucky player picked up the ticket at a Walmart Supercenter in Huber Heights, just outside of Dayton, Ohio. It was an auto-pick ticket, and it ended up matching all five numbers and the Powerball for a total of $138 million.
The unclaimed money will be split among the 45 states that participate in Powerball, with a larger share going to Ohio state funds.
Local media spoke to people buying Powerball tickets ahead of the January 11 drawing.
“I would never lose such a thing,” one Cleveland Lottery ticket buyer told NewsNation. “I couldn’t imagine losing that, that type of money and that opportunity.”
The Purchase
The ticket was bought on July 3, 2024, with the auto picked numbers 2-26-33-55-57 and the red Powerball 22. All five numbers and the Powerball came up on that weekend’s Powerball draw.
Had the winner come forward, they could have claimed the full prize in a 29-year annuity of $4.5 million a year, or the cash option of $65.8 million.
Employees of the Walmart Supercenter on Brandt Pike in Huber Heights, around 40 miles from Dayton, were also waiting for news of the claim. If the winner had come forward, they would have been in for a $139,000 windfall to split among them.
Lost Winnings
$130 million is now the largest unclaimed U.S. Lottery jackpot. The previous record was set in 2011 in Georgia, when a $77 million Powerball jackpot winning ticket went unclaimed.
However, the unknown Ohio ticket owner may not hold the U.S. record for long.
There is a $1.3 billion winning Mega Millions ticket purchased in March 2024 in New Jersey which has yet to be claimed. The purchaser has until March 2024 to claim their prize, or it will become the largest unclaimed U.S. lottery win.
Another interesting case is that of Faramarz Lahijani of Los Angeles, California. In December 2023, he claimed a split MegaMillions jackpot prize of $197 million.
He has subsequently claimed he also purchased the second winning ticket, which he says he lost. He is currently suing the California Lottery in pursuit of the other $197 million.

David is an online casino expert who specializes in online slots and boasts over 10 years experience writing about iGaming. He has written for a wide range of notable publications, including eSports Insider and WordPlay Magazine.
David graduated Derby University with a BA Degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.