According to lottery rules, winners of the Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots have up to a year to claim the prize and under most circumstances, need to have the ticket to prove ownership.
However there are exceptions, Traverso said. Some winners who have lost their ticket may be able to substantiate their right to a jackpot by answering questions that only a winner would know, such as when and where they purchased the ticket.
Theres a laundry list of questions. Its not easy. Youre going to feel like youre getting the third degree, he said. Its not a dimly lit room with a light bulb and steel table, but youll be subject to an investigation, need to answer questions. We have all the answers. So you have to be able to provide those answers.
The state may have images of the possible winner based on the time the sale was recorded with the state and security camera footage, but the rush to buy tickets was so big that day, theres no way to pinpoint the specific person who bought the ticket, Traverso said.
The state could release photos of potential winners or send out occasional media notices pleading with tips to find the winner, but neither is likely to happen for the record Powerball ticket, he said. Thats because earlier this year, about three dozen people all claimed to be the winners of a $63-million SuperLotto Plus ticket in Chatsworth in February.
So far, none of the claimants for the Chatsworth ticket have been found credible.
Because that experience went down the way it did, weve had to reevaluate the way we did it, Traverso said.
