# $50 Million Unclaimed Lotto Jackpot

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-million-unclaimed-lotto-jackpot/205349>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [October 3, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-million-unclaimed-lotto-jackpot/205349 "2003-10-03T15:09:50Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ShibbOleth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/848f3c/32.png) [@ShibbOleth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ShibbOleth)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-million-unclaimed-lotto-jackpot/205349/1 "2003-10-03T15:09:50Z")

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In Florida recently, the time expired on an unclaimed Lotto Jackpot of $50 million. Under a new plan the money will be used directed to the state education fund, instead of on marketing for the lottery, where unclaimed money is typically spent.

> [@](#):
>
> _Originally from a [St. Petersburg Times article](http://www.stpetetimes.com/2003/10/03/State/Lotto_jackpot_may_go_.shtml)_  
> The lottery’s original plan caused a public uproar. Legislators called for the jackpot to be spent on education. Residents wrote to their local newspapers, demanding the same thing.
> 
> How much the lottery money has helped education has been a point of contention for years. Voters frequently complain that instead of enhancing education as intended when it was created 15 years ago, the Legislature simply used the money to replace revenue spent on other things. So far, the lottery has produced $13-billion for education.
> 
> The new plan doesn’t mean $50-million will go to public schools. Instead, $30.1-million would be placed in the education budget, equal to a lump-sum lottery payout. The $50-million is the value of the jackpot if it is paid over 30 years.

So somebody won $50 extra large, but either forgot, died or lost the ticket. I don’t think I’d want to know if this were me, but at least education will benefit.

> [@](#):
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> Rep. Bev Kilmer, R-Quincy, is crafting a bill to take 60 percent of unclaimed prize money and use it exclusively for reading programs.

Great, but a bill to use the money for math or statistics education would be more ironic.

> [@](#):
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> About $30-million in unclaimed lottery prize money is spent on marketing games each year. Bush said that is a good use of the money because it helps raise money for education. State law requires that at least 38 cents of every dollar collected go to the state’s Educational Enhancement Trust Fund.
> 
> It is unclear whether state law will have to change to move the unclaimed money to schools. Lottery officials were unsure, and the lottery’s Web site says state law requires that unclaimed money be used for prizes or marketing.
> 
> Since voters approved the lottery in 1988, 20 Lotto jackpots have gone unclaimed. Only once did the cash value of an unclaimed jackpot exceed $8-million, Mattingly said.

Emphasis Added

Okay, maybe they need training to read their lottery tickets if this is such a common occurence.

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**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\
**Post date:** [October 3, 2003, 3:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/50-million-unclaimed-lotto-jackpot/205349/2 "2003-10-03T15:27:07Z")

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I was always aghast that the unclaimed prize money went back to the lottery people for advertisements or to bump up jackpot amounts. The local paper mentioned that while Jacksonville schools in the past got as much as $13M annually from the lottery, it’s dropped down to $8M recently. That seems fishy to me, although I’m far from a lottery expert.

I assume there are audits to keep this program honest…