What Happens To Unclaimed Powerball Prizes?

          Unclaimed prizes from the Powerball draws are split into two different categories; the jackpot pool and the bonus pool. The nature of the game means that there is a possibility that the money is not won or that no claim is made.

          If this happens with the jackpot pool then any money is returned to the lottery jurisdiction. Half of the money is put back into the lottery game, and half goes towards the general fund of the state. This means that the money can be used for community resources. Any unclaimed bonus money goes to the lottery for a specific amount of time, for future draws.

           Once this time has expired, the money is distributed amongst the state lotteries and used in the same way as mentioned above. It is a rare occurrence for the bonus money to not be claimed, as the odds of winning are good for any lottery game.