A California man who won $44 million in the Powerball jackpot says he still hasn’t received his prize, even though it’s been over nine weeks since he won.
Jerry, who lives in Orange County, regularly plays lottery games like Fantasy 5, Powerball, Super Lotto, and Mega Millions.
“I play all the games,” he told ABC7.
It was normal for Jerry to stop by his local Ralphs to buy lottery tickets before the Powerball drawing on August 19, picking some of his favorite numbers.
But this time was different. Jerry’s numbers, including his choice of 10 for the Powerball, matched every single number in the drawing.
“It was exciting in a quiet way because you never really expect to hit all six,” Jerry said. “The odds are so high—it’s more likely you’ll get hit by lightning.”
Naturally, Jerry was thrilled to learn he’d won $44 million. But now, weeks later, he says he hasn’t received a single dollar of his winnings.
Jerry called the process of claiming his big lottery win “horrible,” explaining to ABC7 that they don’t give you a specific date for when you’ll get your money. Instead, they leave it unclear, making you wait and wonder each day if you’ll ever get paid.
Carolyn Becker, a spokesperson for the California State Lottery, said it’s normal for there to be a long wait.
She explained that while some winners might get their money in about four weeks, that doesn’t happen often. Typically, the goal is to process winnings within six to eight weeks, but sometimes, like with Jerry’s case, it takes even longer.
The California State Lottery didn’t specifically comment on Jerry’s situation but explained that anyone claiming to have won must go through a long verification process.
This process includes an investigation by the lottery’s law enforcement team and checks to make sure the winner doesn’t owe money in taxes or child support.
Carolyn Becker said, “California Lottery processes over 10,000 claims each month, so we try to manage winners’ expectations.”
While Jerry still doesn’t know when he’ll get his winnings, he’s hopeful he’ll be able to enjoy his prize soon.
