An astonishing £11 million lottery prize remains unclaimed by a fortunate winner, marking an unusual situation. The French player, who secured €13 million (£11m) in the Super Loto on April 24 in Orne, France, has yet to step forward to collect the life-altering sum as of Monday.
Reports yesterday emphasized that time was running out for the mystery winner as they faced a deadline to claim the money by 11.59pm. Failure to do so would result in the prize reverting back to the pool.
The gaming and betting operator, La Française des Jeux (FDJ), urged the winner to reach out to the major winners’ department. The winning ticket matched the numbers 12, 16, 2, 20, and 26, along with the “Chance” number 2.
Despite public appeals through various media platforms and lottery draw broadcasts, the winner failed to respond. Consequently, after the 60-day grace period lapsed, the substantial cash prize was forfeited back to the prize funds.
In a frustrating turn of events, it was disclosed that the operator knew the retail store that sold the ticket but could not disclose the information due to confidentiality regulations.
An FDJ spokesperson labeled this as the “biggest unclaimed prize” to date, surpassing the previous record from 2011 of an €8 million unclaimed prize. The company highlighted that only about two cases of forgotten tickets are recorded annually on average.
This incident mirrors a similar occurrence involving an unclaimed UK lottery ticket. In Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, a winner of a £12 million jackpot from June 6 is yet to come forward, having matched the numbers 08, 10, 26, 30, 35, and 42.
Andy Carter, a senior winners’ advisor at Allwyn, described this as an “incredible win,” urging Lotto players to check their tickets diligently. The search continues to reunite the unsuspecting winner with their life-changing prize money.
