SAPPORO, Mar 07 (News On Japan) - A 200 million yen lottery prize remains unclaimed, and the deadline is approaching.
At the "Odori Underground Chance Center" in Sapporo, which sells the "Valentine Jumbo" lottery with a first prize of 300 million yen including the bonus prize, many people have lined up to buy tickets since the start of sales, dreaming of becoming millionaires.
However, an unusual situation has arisen with the "Valentine Jumbo." A poster at the sales booth reads "WANTED" in the style of a wanted poster, as the winner of the first prize of 200 million yen has not yet appeared, and the search for the winner is ongoing.
A person in their 40s said, "I would probably go to claim it right away, so I'm surprised. I'd be so happy to exchange it, I'd go immediately."
A person in their 20s said, "That's really a waste. I wonder why they bought it in the first place."
What happens to the 200 million yen if the winner does not appear? The payment deadline for this lottery prize is in 14 days, with only one week left. Hiroshi Kobayashi from the Odori Underground Chance Center said, "The money will be handed over to prefectures or government-designated cities, and it will be used for community development."
According to the lottery side, the total winnings for the fiscal year 2022, where winners did not appear nationwide, amounts to 99 billion yen.
The lottery booth at the "Odori Underground Chance Center" is making the following appeal: "The first prize of 200 million yen has not been claimed yet, so we hope that anyone who remembers purchasing it will bring it to a nearby lottery booth. In December of last year, a first prize of 700 million yen was also won in the year-end jumbo, and we hope that the winner will come forward soon."
Source: ANN