Winners should sign the back of their tickets and store them in a safe place until they’re ready to reclaim their prize

LOTTERY players in Illinois could be sitting on a fortune without even knowing it.

Officials are urging ticket holders to check their numbers, as 10 winning tickets worth $5.35 million remain unclaimed – and one expires in less than two weeks.

Person filling out a Mega Millions lottery ticket.

Several winning tickets in Illinois are still sitting unclaimed
A customer buying a Powerball lottery ticket.

Officers are urging players to check their numbers as they could be sitting on a fortune

A Powerball ticket worth $100,000 was purchased in Centralia, IL, for the March 23, 2024 drawing.

But it is now on the verge of becoming worthless if the winner doesn’t come forward soon.

It was bought at Huck’s 315 E. Calumet, and must be claimed before the looming deadline.

Millions still up for grabs

The nine other unclaimed winning tickets – ranging from $150,000 to $1.1 million – were purchased across Illinois at various locations.

In Chicago, a Lucky Day Lotto ticket worth $1,100,000 was sold at Miska’s Liquor, 6410 W. 63rd St., for the September 8, 2024, drawing.

Another unclaimed $1,000,000 Mega Millions ticket was sold at Tony’s Fresh Market, 4608 W. Belmont Ave., for the February 25 drawing.

In Dolton, a Powerball ticket worth $200,000 was sold at Cito, 44 E. Sibley Blvd., for the November 30, 2024, drawing.

In Melrose Park, a Powerball ticket worth $1,000,000 was sold at Jewel-Osco, 800 W. North Ave., for the December 21, 2024, drawing.

In Rockford, two tickets remain unclaimed from Woodman’s Food Market, 3155 McFarland Rd. — a Lucky Day Lotto ticket worth $650,000 from the February 7 drawing and a Powerball ticket worth $200,000 from the February 17 drawing.

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In Schaumburg, a Lucky Day Lotto ticket worth $500,000 was sold at BP, 1600 W. Wise Rd., for the March 1 drawing.

And in Cicero, a Lucky Day Lotto ticket worth $450,000 was sold at CVS, 5524 W. Cermak Rd., for the March 5 drawing.

Meanwhile in Crestwood, a Lucky Day Lotto ticket worth $150,000 was sold at Shop-Mart, 13650 S. Cicero Ave., for the March 6 drawing.

Lottery officials are urging players to dig through their wallets, coat pockets, and old receipts to find any forgotten tickets before the deadlines hit.

Winners should sign the back of their tickets and store them in a safe place until they’re ready to reclaim their prize.

Those who believe they have a winning ticket should visit the Illinois Lottery website or contact lottery officials for claim instructions.

This isn’t the first time a life-changing jackpot has gone unclaimed.

Just last month, a $433,000 Palmetto Cash 5 ticket purchased in South Carolina was still waiting for its rightful owner.

Elsewhere, an $83.5 million Lotto Texas jackpot-winning ticket bought in Austin remains unclaimed.

And in California, a Mega Millions player has yet to step forward for a $1.5 million prize.

Mega Millions lottery tickets in a convenience store.

It’s not the first time that major jackpots sat unclaimed