Sioux City's KTIV-TV reported that the ticket matched the first five numbers in the Mega Millions drawing on September 6, 2022, but it was missing the sixth number necessary to win the jackpot. The winner had a year to come forward and receive their award.
Winners must claim their prizes in person at the Iowa Lottery offices in Clive, a city in the state's geographic center.
The ticket was bought at a gas station in Ames, which is in the same county as the main office but a little further north.
When tickets are no longer valid, the prize money is usually carried over to the following drawing.
According to The Gazette, an unclaimed $1 million lottery ticket in Iowa lapsed in 2018 despite repeated warnings from authorities. Allegedly, this was the first unclaimed lottery prize in the state's 43-year history.
According to the Iowa Lottery, there are more than 110 unclaimed lottery prizes in the state, including two worth $150,000 apiece.