An unexpected lotto win phone call changes the lives – and bank accounts – of lucky Australians every week.

In 2023, 500 division one lotto winners picked up a collective $1.5 billion in prize money.

If a lottery winner doesn’t have their details attached to winning numbers and never comes forward to claim their reward, a few things happen to the money, depending on the state or territory.

Unclaimed prize money is usually diverted to the state’s revenue office after a period of time.

It depends on the state for how long a winner has to claim their winnings before it officially expires.

In NSW and the ACT, winners must collect their earnings within six years after the draw date.

Lottery winners in Western Australia only have 12 months to claim their prize before the money is returned to the community through grants.

Queensland winners, meanwhile, have a little longer at seven years and two months.

Those in Victoria have 12 months to claim directly from The Lott, but after that they must submit it through the state revenue office.

9news