Lottery tickets expire whenever the lottery rules specify that the claiming period is over. That can be anything from 30 days to a full year, and there are even some exceptional cases of lotteries that expire after seven years, in Australia. In order to help you out with figuring out when your lottery tickets can expire, we have built a complete guide with a list of lotteries.
Lottery Tickets Expiration Dates
In India, playing numbers lotteries like the Kerala Lottery involves a short timespan to claim your winnings. By playing Indian lotteries, you have about 30 days, basically a month, to go to a local retailer or the lottery office to take your winnings. On the other hand, if you are a smart person playing online lotteries from all around the world, other dates apply, such as:
| Lottery | Country of Origin | Expires After |
|---|---|---|
| Powerball | United States | 180 days |
| Mega Millions | United States | 180 days – 1 year |
| Euromillions | Several European Countries | 180 days |
| Eurojackpot | Several European Countries | 90 days |
| Lotto 6/49 | Canada | 1 year |
| SuperEnalotto | Italy | 90 days |
| La Primitiva | Spain | 90 days |
| EuroDreams | Several European Countries | 90 days |
| German Lotto | Germany | 13 weeks |
| Austria Lotto | Austria | 90 days |
| French Lotto | France | 60 days |
| Oz Lotto | Australia | 1 – 7 years |
| Totoloto | Portugal | 90 days |
| Otoslotto | Hungary | 90 days |
| Texas Lotto | United States | 180 days |
| Japan Loto 7 | Japan | 1 year |
Most lotteries will have a period of 90 to 180 days, which is more than enough to be prepared to claim. Some of them vary, like Oz Lotto and Mega Millions, as each state or jurisdiction may have different rules. Notice how they vary greatly, but there is an advantage when you buy international lottery tickets online. Most often, you will be warned of your prize, and if you don’t receive it automatically, you get full instructions on how to claim it. You can really only lose your right to claiming prizes if you truly relapse.
Do All Lottery Tickets Expire?
All lottery tickets expire at a certain point. The most interesting case is that of Australia, where some regions allow players to claim their winnings even seven years after the drawing. Of course, that is far from the reality in most countries, especially in India, where government lotteries give you only 30 days to claim.
How to Prevent Lottery Tickets From Expiring?
There are no prevention actions that can maintain lottery tickets valid for any day longer than their regular expiration time. However, you do prevent losing your right to claim money prizes if you put certain attitudes into action:
- Keep up with the latest lottery results to know when you have won.
- If you have a paper ticket, maintain it safe until you claim your prize.
- Establish a maximum time to make plans for the money and claim it.
- If it is a small prize that won’t change your life, claim it immediately.
- Play online and get digital tickets you cannot lose.
It is true that big prizes need preparation, and most people want to be discreet and not claim while everyone is waiting to see the winner. The most important thing is not to forget the expiration of the tickets and avoid losing the ticket. If you lose your winning entry, there is no way to claim, even if you try it on time.
Therefore, playing online, which is available for international lotteries, offers two big advantages. The first one we mentioned was being warned that you need to claim the prize, and the second benefit is not having any chance of losing a digital ticket.
What to Do If My Lottery Tickets Are Expired?
If you have found a lost ticket or just figured out the one you had is already after the expiration date, you have only one hope. Contact the official lottery responsible for the game and inform them of your situation. Be specific about any important circumstances that might have caused you to lose the deadline, like being hospitalized.
Still, there is no guarantee that you can claim your expired lottery ticket. There have been a few documented cases around the world, but it truly depends on the rules established by each separate lottery office.
FAQ
Consult with official documentation from the lottery you have played, where the deadline for claiming prizes will be defined. Calculate from the drawing date and figure out if the number of days is past the maximum authorized timespan.
Yes, online lottery tickets are just a digital alternative to regular lotteries, even if they are only available online. As with any other lottery, there is a maximum time for claiming prizes.
Expired lottery tickets have no use. You may try contacting the official lottery office responsible for it, but your chances are very scarce.
You will most probably not find any expiration date specified on your tickets. Instead, you may check our table for that information or the FAQs and documentation of your lottery of choice.
