What happens to unclaimed National Lottery cash prizes?
LOTTERY playing Brits will usually be hot on claiming any cash they've won through the national game.
But on occasion, players have been known to miss out on MILLIONS after failing to come forward for their winnings.
The National Lottery has been running for more than 20 years.
In that time it's made more than 5,500 millionaires across the UK and has awarded £71 billion in prize money.
Just last night’s Lotto draw gave Brits a chance to get their hands on a whopping £4.1 million in cash.
According to the Lotto website someone has won that mega prize though, and there is one winning ticket out there for the jackpot.
But we don't know just yet whether the winner has come forward.
Players are urged to check their tickets now and save missing out on the colossal reward.
But what happens to the cash if they do miss out?
Some like to cut it fine, as back in 2019, a player in Manchester claimed their £1 million prize just hours before the deadline.
This will usually then go on to help fund things like sport programmes or local community buildings or other projects.
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They can range from the small to the big aids, like when funding goes towards training up Olympic athletes.
Closer to home though, if you are unlucky enough to miss the 180 day period then unfortunately it's officially gone, and you'll have to retry your luck the next time a big cash prize comes around.
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