What happens to all the prize money when someone forgets to cash a winning ticket?
It is different in each state. In Oklahoma, the first $500,000 of unclaimed prize monies shall be transferred to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for the treatment of compulsive gambling disorder and educational programs related to such disorder annually. All other unclaimed prizes will be added back to the overall prize pool to be awarded for future prizes or special prize promotions, and if not used, will be distributed to education.
