No one has claimed the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot. What if it goes unclaimed?

CINCINNATI – It has been weeks since a ticket in Illinois won the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot.

But no one has come forward to claim the second-largest jackpot in the 20-year history of the game, topped only by the $1.537 billion ticket won in South Carolina in 2018.

Rules for claiming a prize, as well as the length of time one has to claim it, vary by state, according to the Mega Millions website. The window for claiming prizes typically ranges from 90 days to one year from the draw date.

Illinois Lottery states that winners may have up to a year to come forward. But winners of more than $250,000 may choose to remain anonymous, so we may never know the identity of the soon-to-be billionaire.

Though the winner still has time to claim the prize, they have only 60 days from the draw date to choose between the cash or annuity options. Because the winning numbers were drawn July 29, they now have 32 days left to decide.

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What happens if no one claims the Mega Millions jackpot?

If a jackpot prize goes unclaimed, each participating state in the Mega Millions game will get back all the money it contributed.

The states use their unclaimed lottery prizes for different purposes, but unclaimed prize money typically remains in a state's lottery fund.

In Illinois, roughly a quarter of every dollar played on the lottery goes to public school funding, the state lottery says. Last year, lottery purchases raised $731 million for education in the state.

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What happens if the winning lottery ticket is lost?

Mega Millions is not responsible for lost or stolen tickets. Winners are advised to sign the back of the tickets. Unless a ticket is signed, anyone who has the ticket can file a claim. If the ticket is lost before it was signed and someone else finds it, the finder can collect the prize.

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How many unclaimed jackpot prizes have there been?

To date, there have only been three unclaimed jackpot prizes. Here's a running list of the unclaimed jackpots in recorded Mega Millions history:

• Aug. 1, 2006: A $31 million jackpot went unclaimed in Queens, New York.

• April 25, 2003: A $46 million jackpot went unclaimed in Brooklyn, New York.

• Dec. 24, 2002: A $68 million jackpot went unclaimed in New York. The city was not specified.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: What if no one claims Mega Millions' $1.34 billion lottery jackpot?

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