A Michigan Woman Sat on a $1 Million Powerball Ticket for One Year, Then Claimed It With Just Hours to Spare
A $1 million lottery ticket almost slipped through the cracks in Michigan. Theresa Lynchosky, 63, of Rochester Hills matched five white balls in the July 14, 2025 Powerball drawing to win $1 million, then held onto the ticket for nearly the entire year before claiming it just hours before it was set to expire.
Powerball tickets are valid for one year from the draw date. The Michigan Lottery announced on July 15 that Lynchosky had recently visited lottery headquarters to collect, cutting it about as close as a player can.
Why she waited
"I decided to wait to claim the prize for personal reasons and didn't tell anyone about the big win until last week when I told my best friend," Lynchosky said. "I was so happy to finally share the news with someone and I'm even happier to be here claiming my prize after waiting a year."
Lynchosky, who says she regularly plays Powerball online, matched the five white balls 8, 12, 45, 46 and 63. She missed the red Powerball, which is what separates the $1 million second prize from the jackpot.
"I took a screenshot of the pop-up and kept going back and looking at it because I couldn't believe it was real," she said, recalling the moment the website told her she had won. She told the Michigan Lottery she plans to save the money.
The lesson: check your tickets, and claim on time
Waiting a year to claim is her right, but it is a nerve-racking way to handle a seven-figure prize. Tickets do expire, and prizes that go unclaimed are lost for good. Whether you play the big draws or scratch-offs, the habit that matters is the same: check every ticket, and do not let a winner sit past its deadline.
The Michigan Lottery returns up to 27 cents of every dollar spent to the state's school aid fund. If you play scratch-offs in the state, current Michigan games, with odds and top prizes still unclaimed, are on our Michigan page.
Sources
The Detroit News: Woman cashes $1M Powerball prize hours before expiration
Frequently Asked Questions
How long do you have to claim a Powerball prize?
Powerball tickets are valid for one year from the draw date. Theresa Lynchosky claimed her $1 million prize just hours before that deadline.
How did she win $1 million without hitting the jackpot?
She matched all five white balls but not the red Powerball. That combination pays $1 million (or $2 million with the Power Play option), which is the standard second-tier Powerball prize.
What happens to a Powerball prize that is never claimed?
If a winner does not come forward within the one-year window, the prize expires. In Michigan, unclaimed prize money goes back to players and the state, so claiming on time is the only way to collect.
Jessie Jurado covers consumer lottery topics with a focus on odds, value, and the math most players never see. She believes nobody should buy a scratch ticket without knowing what they're actually getting for their money.
