An astonishing £11 million lottery prize remains unclaimed by a French winner, creating an unusual situation. The fortunate player, who won €13 million (£11m) in the Super Loto on April 24 in Orne, France, has yet to come forward to collect the life-changing sum.
Reports on June 22 highlighted the urgency for the mystery winner to claim the money before the deadline expired at 11.59pm. The message from gaming and betting operator La Française des Jeux (FDJ) emphasized the need for the winner to contact the major winners’ department to secure their prize. The winning numbers were 12, 16, 2, 20, 26, and the additional “Chance” number 2.
Despite multiple public appeals through various channels, including televised lottery draws on TF1, the winner failed to step forward within the 60-day time frame. Consequently, the substantial prize money was returned to the pool for future draw games.
The operator, FDJ, revealed that they knew the retail outlet where the winning ticket was sold but couldn’t disclose the information due to confidentiality rules. This unclaimed £11 million prize is the largest in the history of FDJ, surpassing the previous record from 2011 of an €8 million unclaimed prize.
FDJ also noted that forgotten tickets like this incident are rare, with only about two cases reported each year on average. In a similar scenario, a £12 million lottery winner from Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, who matched all six main numbers, has yet to claim their prize, with a deadline set for December 3.
Andy Carter, a senior winners’ advisor at Allwyn, described the unclaimed prize as an “incredible win” and urged Lotto players to check their tickets diligently. The plea extends to anyone who may have purchased a ticket in the area, reminding them that they could be holding the winning ticket without realizing it.