Only 50 Days Left... 1.28 Billion Won Lotto Prize Remains Unclaimed

First Prize of 1.28 Billion Won and Second Prize of 44.77 Million Won Remain Unclaimed
All Winnings Expire If Not Collected by the Deadline

In the 1,159th Lotto draw held in February, it was found that one first-prize and one second-prize winning ticket have yet to be claimed. With approximately 50 days remaining until the claim deadline, if the prizes are not collected within this period, the winnings will expire and be transferred to the lottery fund.

Image to aid understanding of the article. The Asia Business Daily DB

According to Donghaeng Lottery, the lottery operator, as of December 29, one first-prize and one second-prize winning ticket from the 1,159th Lotto draw, which took place on February 15, have not been claimed.

The unclaimed first-prize amount is 1,284,850,000 won. The winning numbers are 3, 9, 27, 28, 38, and 39, and the ticket was issued at a sales outlet in Gangbuk District, Seoul.

The claim deadline for this draw is February 16, 2026. After this date, the prize money will automatically expire and will not be paid to individuals.

The second-prize winning ticket also remains unclaimed. The unclaimed amount is approximately 44,770,000 won, with the winning numbers being the same as the first prize and the bonus number being 7. This ticket was sold at a sales outlet in Gimcheon, North Gyeongsang Province.

Every year, a significant amount of prize money goes unclaimed. Over the past five years (2020-2024), a total of 228.3 billion won (3,076,000 cases) in unclaimed winnings have expired after the claim period. Of this, the largest portion was fifth-prize winnings (50,000 won per prize), accounting for about 150.7 billion won, or 66% of the total unclaimed amount.

All prizes unclaimed after the deadline are transferred to the lottery fund and used for various public interest projects, including housing support for low-income families, scholarship programs, and cultural heritage preservation.