Someone on July 29 walked into a gas station in Suburban Des Plaines and bought the winning $1.34 billion Mega Millions lottery ticket.
But according to Illinois Lottery Officials, the winner still hasn't come forward.
"As far as the winner is concerned, we have not heard from the winner yet," Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays said last month at a press conference. "We don't know whether or not they even know that they won the prize, so I encourage everybody to check your ticket."
More than 30 days later, Illinois Lottery officials confirmed that was still the case.
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As it turns out, however, that's not so unusual.
“For a prize of this magnitude, it’s not unusual for the winner to take a while to claim,” Mays previously said in a statement. “I’m sure they’re going through a range of emotions.”
The Illinois Lottery encourages the winner to sign the back of their ticket, seek legal advice and make an appointment with the Illinois Lottery to claim their prize.
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And while the winner has 12 months from the date of the draw to claim their winnings, Illinois Lottery officials say Illinois winners of $250,000 or more can choose to not release their names.
But there is a more pressing time frame: according to lottery officials: Winners only have 60 days from the date of the draw to choose between the cash or annual payment options.
The $1.337 billion prize will be paid annually over 29 years if the winner picks the annuity option. If the winner opts for cash, they will receive an estimated $780.5 million.
As of Aug. 31, the clock is ticking. The winner now has only 27 days to decide.
According to Illinois Lottery officials, the corporate gas station chain will receive a half-million dollar bonus for selling the winning ticket.
