$440,000 lottery prize goes unclaimed in Washington. So, where does the money go now?

A lottery player won $440,000 but never claimed the prize in Washington.

That money will now be put to good use.

The Hit 5 ticket was bought during the Nov. 23 drawing from a QFC grocery store in Bellevue, Washington’s Lottery said in a news release.

It was set to expire May 21, but as the day approached, no one came forward to claim the ticket that had the winning numbers 8, 12, 16, 21, 33, lottery officials said.

Where will the money go?

Now the money will transfer to a reserve account, lottery officials told McClatchy News by email May 22.

When the agency’s fiscal year ends in June, it will transfer into the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account — “the primary education beneficiary of Washington’s Lottery.”

The account helps pay for “college grants and scholarships, early childhood education, vocational excellence programs, charter schools, and other programs across the state,” officials said.

In 2023, Washington’s Lottery gave $40 million to the state’s Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program — one example on how money from the lottery is spent, officials said.

More unclaimed prizes

There are over a dozen lottery prizes that haven’t been claimed yet, including a $1 million Powerball bought during the March 23 drawing.

Someone matched all five white balls 6, 23, 25, 34, 51 but missed the red Powerball 3.

This prize will expire Sept. 19.

In addition, there are several $10,000 Match 4 prizes that will expire if left unclaimed.

Lottery players have 180 days from the drawing date to claim their prize, lottery officials said.

There are a couple reasons a player might not claim the prize, one being they lost the ticket, officials said.

Also, the person may not have realized there were other prizes besides the jackpot.

“When players check their ticket manually vs. scanning on the app, they could think they didn’t win the jackpot and not realize they won a second or third tier prize,” lottery officials said.

Many people can gamble or play games of chance without harm. However, for some, gambling is an addiction that can ruin lives and families.

If you or a loved one shows signs of gambling addiction, you can seek help by calling the national gambling hotline at 1-800-522-4700 or visiting the National Council on Problem Gambling website.

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