Imagine cleaning out your car’s center console and finding a crumpled piece of paper that’s actually worth a year’s salary. It sounds like a movie plot, but right now, it’s a very real possibility for someone in Illinois. The Illinois Lottery seeks winner of unclaimed $100,000 Powerball ticket, and the clock is ticking faster than most people realize.
Honestly, it’s wild how often this happens. People buy a ticket at a gas station, toss it in the glove box, and completely forget about it. Then, months later, the lottery officials are practically begging someone to come forward. If you’ve spent any time in Roscoe recently, you might want to stop what you're doing and start checking your pockets.
The Winning Ticket Details
The specific ticket everyone is looking for was sold for the January 5, 2026, Powerball drawing. It’s worth a cool $100,000. That’s not "retire on a private island" money, but it’s definitely "pay off the mortgage and take a massive vacation" money.
The lucky (or forgetful) winner purchased their ticket at Speedway #3962, located at 5951 E. Rockton Rd. in Roscoe, IL.
If you were passing through Winnebago County earlier this month, this could be you. Maybe you were grabbing a coffee on your way to work or filling up for a road trip. Whatever the case, that piece of paper is currently sitting somewhere—likely gathering dust—while the Illinois Lottery waits for a claimant.
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Why Do These Prizes Go Unclaimed?
You'd think people would be more careful with something worth six figures. But life gets in the way. People lose tickets in the laundry. They fall between couch cushions. Sometimes, players check the "big" jackpot winner, see it wasn't them, and don't realize they matched enough numbers to win a secondary prize.
In Illinois, winners have exactly one year from the draw date to claim their winnings. For this specific $100,000 prize, the deadline is January 5, 2027.
It feels like a long time away, right? It isn't. Just last year, a $100,000 ticket sold in Centralia almost expired because the winner waited until the final two weeks to come forward.
Other Big Wins Still Waiting
This isn't the only pile of cash sitting in the Illinois Lottery’s vault. There is a surprising list of unclaimed prizes currently hovering in the system:
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- A $1,000,000 Powerball winner from Deerfield (sold Dec 22, 2025).
- Two $200,000 Powerball tickets—one from Aurora and one from Springfield.
- Multiple $100,000 tickets from 2025 drawings in Hampshire and Chicago (Cicero Ave).
If you’ve played at any of these spots, you’re basically leaving money on the table. The Illinois Lottery actually maintains a public list of these "lost" fortunes because they genuinely want to pay the winners. It’s not a scam; it’s just bureaucratic math waiting for a human to finish the equation.
What to Do If You Find the Ticket
First, don't panic. But also, don't just leave it on your kitchen counter.
The very first thing you should do—and I mean immediately—is sign the back of the ticket. In the eyes of the lottery, a ticket is a "bearer instrument." That’s a fancy way of saying whoever holds it, owns it. If you lose an unsigned winning ticket, and someone else finds it and signs it, it’s legally theirs.
Once it's signed, keep it in a safe place. A fireproof safe is great, but even a high shelf where the kids can't reach it works.
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The Claiming Process
Since this prize is over $10,000, you can't just walk back into the Speedway and ask for a check. You have two main options:
- By Mail: You can mail the original ticket (use registered mail!) along with a claim form to the Illinois Lottery Claims Department in Springfield.
- In Person (By Appointment Only): This is usually the better route for big money. You have to schedule an appointment at one of the Claim Centers in Des Plaines, Rockford, Springfield, Fairview Heights, or Chicago.
Don't forget your ID and Social Security card. They won't hand over a dime without verifying who you are. Usually, it takes about 4 to 6 weeks to process these "high-tier" claims, so the sooner you get it in, the sooner that check hits your bank account.
Actionable Steps for Illinois Players
Even if you aren't the Roscoe winner, you should probably change how you play to avoid this stress in the future.
- Go Digital: If you buy tickets through the Illinois Lottery app or website, you can't "lose" the ticket. The system knows you won and will usually email you or automatically credit smaller amounts.
- Check the "Unclaimed" List: Every few months, go to the Illinois Lottery website and look at the "Unclaimed Jackpot & Daily Game Prizes" page. It’s updated regularly.
- The Sunday Routine: Make it a habit. Check your tickets every Sunday morning. It takes two minutes and could prevent a $100,000 heartbreak.
If you think you might have the Roscoe ticket, go check your old jackets now. Check the pockets of the jeans you wore two weeks ago. Check the visor in your car. A hundred grand is waiting for someone—it might as well be you.
Next Step: Head to the Illinois Lottery's official Unclaimed Prizes page and cross-reference your old tickets with the winning numbers from the January 5 drawing.