News writer
It looks like some Massachusetts Lottery winners are waiting until the very last minute to claim their winnings!
The Massachusetts Lottery announced one lucky $100,000 Mass Cash prize winner claimed his winnings just two weeks before the ticket was due to expire. Meanwhile, a $ 25,000-a-year-for-life prize has gone unclaimed and is set to expire soon!
Big win playing Mass Cash
The first big winner for the Massachusetts Lottery was Michael Curtin of Maynard. Curtin won $100,000 during the May 2, 2023, drawing of Mass Cash. The winning numbers for that May 2, 2023, drawing were 1, 13, 17, 24, and 25, and Curtin matched all five numbers to win the top prize.
With just two weeks remaining until his ticket expired, Curtin claimed his prize on Friday, April 19, at the Massachusetts State Lottery's Lawrence claim center. The retired Postal Service worker said he plans on upgrading his car with the winnings.
Curtin purchased the winning ticket at Honey Land, located at 220 Summer St. in Fitchburg. For selling the winning ticket, Honey Land received a $1,000 bonus from the Massachusetts Lottery.
Mass Cash - a quick overview
For Mass Cash, the drawings are held seven nights a week. Each play costs $1. Players must pick five out of 35 numbers, or players can choose the Quick Pick option, and the computer will randomly generate the five numbers for them.
If your ticket matches all five numbers, like Curtin's did, then you win the game's top prize, which is $100,000.
Claim deadline
For draw games like Mass Cash, prize winners have one year from the date of the drawing to claim their prizes in the Massachusetts Lottery. If Curtin hadn't made it to the claim center in time, his lottery prize would have expired, and it would have become part of the net profit that the Lottery returns to the Commonwealth. This profit is then distributed to all 351 cities and towns in the state.
An unclaimed ticket remains
While there may be other unclaimed winning tickets out there, the Massachusetts Lottery announced one is about to expire. An unclaimed $25,000 a year for life prize from the May 17, 2023, Lucky for Life drawing.
For that drawing, the winning white ball numbers were 15, 22, 28, 29, and 41, and the Lucky Ball was 6. The winning ticket, which matched all five of the white ball numbers, was purchased at J Convenience Store & Laundromat, located at 229 North Main St. in Natick.
This lucky winner has until May 17, 2024, to claim their prize. If they don't, then the winnings get returned to the Commonwealth.
Lucky for Life - a quick overview
For Lucky for Life, the drawings are held seven nights a week. Each play costs $2. Players must select five out of 48 numbers and one out of 18 numbers in the Lucky Ball pool. You can also choose the Quick Pick option, which allows the computer to generate numbers for you.
Players who match all five numbers, plus the Lucky Ball, win $1,000 a day for life. Players matching the first five numbers correctly but not matching the Lucky Ball will win $25,000 a year for life. The lifetime prizes are guaranteed for a minimum of 20 years but will continue to be paid out for the duration of each winner's lifetime.
Enjoy playing the Massachusetts Lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
