There is no doubt in saying that the year 2020 has been the worst of the 21st Century. While things were already looking bad, the Pandemic hit the entire world and made the situation even worst. It hurt the world in so many ways that it will be remembered by the entire world’s population for years to come.
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Peter Bayley is one out of so many unlucky people that have had their lives affected by the pandemic in an unusual way. During the time of the COVID-19, it was common for anyone to lose track of time due to the lockdowns and curfews.
The same kind of thing happened to Peter Bayley when he ended up winning and losing his lottery prize win. The player from Colorado who won a lottery prize missed out on the prize claim deadline by three days. As a result, the player was not able to claim his prize at all.
Peter Bayley told the media that he had bought a ticket and won a $1,500 prize from the Powerball draw game held in spring. He stated that he had even made plans to add the prize money to their traveling budget that he and his wife had planned.
Due to the COVID-19 situation, the Colorado Lottery offices were closed in the mid of March. In normal cases, the winners are required to turn in their winning claims within six months. But a month’s extension was added for the players who had bought the ticket from the 6th of April till the end of the month. This extension was added following the enforced lockdowns in the United States of America.
However, the players who did not want to wait could use alternative methods to claim their wins. The most popular method was to mail the winning ticket to the headquarters of the relevant lottery.
Peter stated that he preferred waiting as he feared that the ticket may end up getting lost if sent through certified mail.
Unfortunately, time went on and Peter lost track of it. By the time he realized, the deadline had already been passed by 3 days. Peter stated that there is none to be blamed for this but himself as he forgot to claim the prize within the given time.
However, the money lost by Peter would be a gain for many individuals that the communities currently serve. Traditionally, the unclaimed prizes are sent over to communities and departments who are working for the welfare of mankind.
Following Peter’s loss, Meghan Dougherty, the communications manager at Colorado Lottery released a statement to provide clarity on the matter. She stated that the Lotteries maintain very strict rules, procedures, and guidelines that are set by the states. Therefore, there should not be any expectations set regarding the prize claim extensions.
