A $44 million winning lottery ticket in Florida from June 14 expired midnight Monday after no one came forward to claim the prize money, the Florida Lottery Commission said.
In the Sunshine State, winners have 180 days to redeem their prize.
With no winner coming forward, 80% of the unclaimed prize funds will be transferred directly to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, which supports the state’s public education system, and the remaining 20% will return to the prize pool, according to lotto officials.
The winning ticket had been purchased at a Sunoco Express in Kissimmee in Central Florida.
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The owner of the Sunoco Express, Navjeet Khela, said he was pleasantly surprised when he learned his store sold a winning ticket.
“It was a shock because I got a phone call pretty early,” he told NBC affiliate WESH of Orlando. “This is truly a substantial amount of money.”
Despite no winner coming forward, the gas station will still get a percentage of the prize.
