Steiermark lottery winner has yet to claim 12 million euros

A 12 million euro lottery jackpot won in Styria has still not been claimed nearly a month after the draw, ORF reported on Monday. The ticket secured Austria’s first eightfold lottery jackpot, but the winner has not yet come forward.

The ticket was submitted in Upper Styria, according to Günter Engelhart, a spokesman for the Austrian Lotteries. He said data protection rules prevented him from providing more precise information.

Several explanations are possible for the delay. Winners may be on holiday, or a Quicktipp ticket may simply not have been checked, Engelhart said. The ticket may also have been misplaced.

Six-number jackpot winners normally come forward within six to eight days, although some have taken longer. The prize would not be paid out until the end of the four-week claim period in any case.

The winner has three years to claim the money under the general limitation period. After that, the legal entitlement expires.

If nobody claims the prize, the money will be added to a fund for unclaimed winnings and used for additional prizes, such as bonus draws. Engelhart said one or two six-number jackpots had previously gone unclaimed, although that happened some time ago.