Two $50,000 lottery prizes may go unclaimed

Imagine having a winning lottery ticket and never claiming the prize. That's about to happen to two people in Arizona; they're holding winning Powerball tickets that haven't been turned in.

The tickets were bought around the holidays last year. One was bought at Speedmart on 92nd Avenue on December 26. The other ticket was bought January 2 at a Circle K in Scottsdale.

Both tickets are worth $50,000 each, but in less than 24 hours they will become worthless pieces of paper.

Matching 4 numbers and the Powerball nets you a $50,000 prize; it's not an easy feat. Two people in the valley have done it, but they apparently do not know it.

"I think it's a lot more common to lose a ticket than a lot of people think, especially because these two were bought around the holidays, it could have been lost in the shuffle," said Nikki O'Shea.

180 days after the draw date the tickets go from being worth $50,000 to $0. Ambree Turner plays Powerball and checks her tickets religiously, but she understands how someone could forget to check.

"Or they bought it, put it away somewhere like in a junk drawer, and they have no idea it's in there," said Ambree Turner.

The ticket bought on Dec 26, expires at 5 p.m. Thursday. The one bought on January 2, expires next Thursday at 5 p.m. both are sad days says, Turner.

"Remorseful because they lost $50,000 and I really wish I had that ticket, cause I would check it everyday," said Turner.

Hundreds of thousands of dollars go unclaimed in lottery prize money every year in Arizona. Unclaimed money goes to the unclaimed prize fund, and a portion goes to Casa, which is a volunteer group helping foster children.