A man from Pennsylvania is celebrating being $50K better off after his Powerball ticket almost ended up in the trash.
According to a press release by the Maryland Lottery, a Philadelphia man who goes by ‘Philly Jawn’ almost forgot he even bought the winning Lotto ticket. He is reportedly an engineer, and the nature of his work requires him to travel frequently. On June 4, he made a quick stop in Woodlawn Mart at 1818 Woodlawn Drive in Baltimore County. He went in to buy snacks for the road and purchased a handful of Lottery tickets on a whim.
The release explains that Philly didn’t check the tickets immediately and forgot about them. They only resurfaced when he was cleaning his car a week later. He scanned the tickets on the app and was shocked to discover that one was worth a cool $50K. He told the Maryland Lottery that he had played infrequently for four years. Philly says he usually picks numbers with a ‘personal significance,’ like birthdays. Despite the importance of his numbers, he reveals he has not told his family yet. He admits he won’t be able to keep it a secret for much longer.
The Lotto Winner Revealed What He Plans To Do With The Cash
Philly told the organization, “I was ecstatic when I realized I won. I hope this is the first of many wins.” He plans to pay off his bills and save whatever is left for now.
Philly told the Lottery how his winning ticket narrowly escaped the trash can, but have you ever wondered what happens to winnings that are never claimed? Well, that exact scenario occurred in Sacramento this month, and the prize was far greater than $50K at a whopping $1,391,550.
A press release by CaLottery explains that their data shows someone purchased the winning Powerball ticket back in December 2024. However, they also reveal that winnings have an expiry date of 180 days. If nobody comes to claim the prize within that period, the organization donates the money to local schools. That 180-day deadline expired on June 16. The organization states that it has donated over $1 billion in unclaimed prizes since its inception in 1985.