One Oklahoma Powerball ticket worth $400,000

Monday, April 3rd 2006, 10:46 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa Powerball player will soon be $400,000 richer. The lottery commission says one player picked five of Saturday's six winning numbers on two different tickets. Each ticket is now worth $200,000.

But what happens to that money if no one comes forward to claim it? News on 6 Anchor Terry Hood found out.

Every state has different rules for unclaimed prize money. In Oklahoma, the lottery commission says unclaimed winnings - up to half-a-million dollars - are handed over to the Department of Mental Health to fund programs for compulsive gamblers.

Those programs could be hitting the jackpot in a few months.

A convenience store and bait shop in Skiatook called "Mister Bass" sold a $200,000 winning ticket back in February. Now it's April, and still no one's stepped forward to claim the cash, but that hasn't stopped folks from trying. Denise Gilford: "Some come in and say, â€˜that was our ticket, and you told us it wasn't a winner.' I say, 'sorry, but if you can find it, I'll be glad to turn it in."

You have 180 days to cash in a winning Powerball ticket.