what happens to unclaimed lottery winnings

If a lottery prize goes unclaimed, each participating state will get the money back that they contributed. States can use this money for different purposes, but it almost always goes back into the lottery fund to help monetize future jackpots and lotteries. Some states use unclaimed funds to support education, after-school programs, property tax relief, programs benefiting older citizens, and state programs authorized by the legislature. In some states, unclaimed funds are contributed to general funds. If the jackpot remains unclaimed until the deadline, participating lotteries will receive their portion of the prizes cash value built by their ticket sales, and jurisdictions then distribute the funds based on local rules or laws. However, unclaimed prizes are different from there being no winner at all. If no winning ticket was ever sold, the jackpot just increases for the next drawing based on how much money was spent by players in the participating state.