Florida Lottery Mother's Day ticket from Publix worth almost $40,000 will expire soon

Where were you on Mother's Day?

Some lucky person bought a winning Florida Lottery ticket almost six months ago from a Florida Publix on Mother's Day, and it expires this week.

Was it you? Did you play the lottery recently and forget to check your ticket? There's a small chance you could be leaving money on the table.

According to the Florida Lottery, one ticket will expire this week, and a part of the money goes back into the pot if it remains unclaimed.

A Fantasy 5 winning ticket for the Sunday, May 14, 2023, drawing was purchased at Publix, 5678 Capital Circle Northwest, Tallahassee, in Leon County. This Publix is in the Oak Valley Shopping Center. The winning ticket is worth $39,743.86. The winning numbers for this ticket were 14-18-25-27-29. The last day to claim the prize for this ticket is by midnight Friday, Nov. 10, 2023.

Call 850-487-7787 or visit flalottery.com.

Below are some things to know about the Florida Lottery.

How many lottery retailers are in Florida?

There are more than 13,000 authorized Florida Lottery retailers here, the site states.

I bought Powerball ticket in another state. Can I cash in my winnings in Florida?

No. Powerball prizes must be claimed in the state where the ticket was purchased, the Florida Lottery says.

I bought a Mega Millions ticket in another state. Can I cash in my winnings in Florida?

No. Mega Millions prizes must be claimed in the state where the ticket was purchased, the Florida Lottery says.

When do Florida lottery tickets expire?

Prizes for Florida Lottery must be claimed within 180 days (six months) from the date of the drawing. To claim a single-payment cash option, a winner has within the first 60 days after the applicable draw date to claim it. Florida Lottery says its scratch-off tickets and Fast Play game prizes "must be claimed within 60 days of the official end-of-game date. Once the applicable time period has elapsed, the related Florida Lottery ticket will expire."

What happens to the unclaimed prize money?

According to the Florida Lottery, state law requires 80% of unclaimed prize funds from expired tickets be transferred to the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund. The remaining 20% is returned to the prize pool for future drawings.

What happens to unclaimed Powerball prize money?

Should a Powerball ticket not be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date, "the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series."

What happens to unclaimed Mega Millions prize money?

Should a Mega Millions ticket not be claimed within 180 days of the drawing date, "the funds to pay the unclaimed jackpot will be returned to the lottery members in their proportion of sales for the jackpot rollover series."

Sangalang is a lead digital producer for USA TODAY Network-Florida. Follow her on Twitter or Instagram at @byjensangalang. Support local journalism. Consider subscribing to a Florida newspaper.