Coupeville ticket holder still has unclaimed $10,000 lottery prize

A $10,000 lottery ticket bought in Coupeville is still unclaimed, giving Whidbey Island a direct stake in a statewide sweep for forgotten winnings. The winner has until Oct. 5 to cash it in, while Washington’s Lottery is warning players to check old tickets before millions in prizes disappear for good.

Washington’s Lottery said April 16 that $9.5 million in unclaimed prizes are set to expire in the coming months, including 15 large prizes worth $10,000 or more. The list is led by two $10,000 Match 4 prizes expiring in April, one bought at Safeway, 1624 72nd Street E in Tacoma, and set to expire today, April 22, and another bought at Kalispel Market, 220 S Hayford Road in Airway Heights, expiring April 30. A $617,500 HIT 5 ticket sold at Conoco, 302 Basin Street SW in Ephrata, expires May 1.

The agency also said a $420,000 HIT 5 prize from Ridgefield expires in early June, while a $115,000 prize and a $100,000 prize remain claimable in July. An $8.2 million Lotto prize is set to expire in late July. Washington’s Lottery said 27 winners have claims pending, and the Coupeville ticket is among the most local reminders that old pockets, glove boxes and kitchen drawers can hide real money.

The rules are strict. Winning players have 180 days from the drawing date to claim a prize. Scratch ticket winners have 180 days from the official end of the game or the last day of sales. Prizes of $600 or less can be redeemed at authorized lottery retailers, prizes of $601 or more can be claimed at any lottery office, and prizes of $100,000 or more must be handled by appointment by phone. Washington’s Lottery has offices in Everett, Federal Way, Olympia, Spokane, Tri-Cities and Vancouver, with headquarters in Olympia.

If nobody claims the money, state law redirects it. Unclaimed prizes are kept in the lottery account for 180 days, then rights to the prize are extinguished. On June 30, any balance over $10 million is transferred to the Washington Opportunity Pathways Account, which supports early childhood education, the Washington College Grant, College Bound, state work-study, GET Ready for Math and Science scholarships, Washington scholars awards and the Washington award for vocational excellence. Since 1982, Washington’s Lottery says it has generated more than $5.3 billion for state programs.