$10 million lottery jackpot remains unclaimed in Rockville

ROCKVILLE, Md. - Imagine being entitled to $10 million – and then never seeing a dime.

That’s what could happen in Rockville, where Maryland Lottery officials say someone purchased a winning ticket last September and doesn’t have much time left to cash it in.

"The claiming date deadline is March 28. So, it’s fast approaching, about a month," explained Carole Gentry, the managing director of communications for Maryland Lottery and Gaming.

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If the winner doesn’t claim the ticket in the allotted 182 days, Gentry said the $10 million would then go to what’s called the "unclaimed prize fund."

"We can’t take it and go on vacation with this. Unclaimed prize money goes back to our players in the form of prizes," she explained.

Gentry added that winnings from tickets that are only worth a few dollars end up in the unclaimed prize fund frequently. She said expiration dates are also currently approaching for two tickets worth $50,000 and $14,412.  

But in the past few years, there are only two expired tickets that come even remotely close to the one in question now; per Gentry, both were worth $1 million.

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The $10 million winner was sold at a Rockville Exxon, where Owner Shoney Ponda said Monday he fears whoever purchased it may have thrown it out.

"We wish good luck to every single person who buys a ticket here," he added. "We want nothing but the best for anyone."