Woman loses $2.5M lottery ticket after donating jacket to charity
A 76-year-old woman from Pennsylvania may have lost her chance to claim a $2.5-million lottery prize. Mildred Simoneriluto accidentally donated the winning ticket along with old clothes. The incident highlights a growing issue—over $1 billion in unclaimed lottery winnings expired in the US last year alone. Simoneriluto bought the ticket in May 2024 at a Shop n'Save in Murrysville. She later realised it matched the winning numbers but could not find it. The ticket had been placed in a jacket pocket, which she donated to Vietnam Veterans of America.
She has spent the past year searching for the missing ticket. The Pennsylvania Lottery requires the physical ticket to process any claim, as accepting wins without it could set a problematic precedent. Officials warn that the jacket—and the ticket—may have already been shipped overseas.
This case follows a wider trend of unclaimed prizes. In Pennsylvania alone, around $45 million in lottery winnings go uncollected each year. Across the US, expired jackpots and tickets surpassed $1 billion in 2024.
Simoneriluto has until May 8 to present the ticket. Without it, the prize will remain unclaimed. The search continues, but time is running out. If the ticket is not found by the deadline, the $2.5 million will stay unclaimed. Lottery officials remind players to check their tickets carefully and store them safely.
