Millions in lottery loot unclaimed in Pa., N.J.

Let this be a lesson.

John and Kristen Zarroli of Southampton, Montgomery County, almost saw $200,000 turn into worthless pulp this summer.

"I bought the ticket at the 7-Eleven in Maple Glen," John said. "There was a sign on the door saying a winning Powerball ticket bought there had not been claimed and it was going to expire July 25. I kept asking what idiot doesn't check their tickets, so when I told my wife about it, she decided to double-check our stack. Our deal is, I buy them, and she checks them. Fortunately, she keeps them all."

They filed their claim with just a couple of days to spare.

Now, only a dozen days are left for another $200,000 Powerball prize. Money squandered in Harrisburg? Perish the thought that some politician bought a Powerball ticket for the Sept. 19, 2009, drawing at a Jonestown Road Sunoco and never checked the numbers. Matching were the first five - 5, 24, 25, 30 and 49 - but not the Powerball of 23.

That's just the most urgent example of windfalls gone unclaimed in Pennsylvania or New Jersey. Just for second-tier prizes - matching all the numbers but the Powerball or Mega Ball - more than $4 million is waiting to be collected, including a $1 million prize.

Later this month, another $200,000 could vanish for a player in Pittsburgh.

Two Philadelphia tickets worth $200,000 have gone unclaimed - and the clock runs out for one next month.

Here's a kind of map of buried treasure, starting with Philadelphia and working outward.

Yo, Philly, check those tickets! Close but no cigar? Last October might have been a case of yes cigar, while coming close to hitting the jackpot. Somebody stopped at Phil Hermans Cigar Store, 1501 Walnut St., and bought a Powerball ticket that matched the first five numbers in the Oct. 17 drawing - 5, 16, 25, 30 and 49 - but missed the Powerball of 39. As of yesterday, no one had stepped forward to claim the $200,000 prize.

Kelly's News, 3178 Kensington Ave., was where someone bought a ticket for the May 26 drawing with 1, 6, 10, 13 and 20, but not the Powerball of 32. That drawing also made a $200,000 winner of Renata Rakowski of Malvern, who bought her ticket in Frazer, Chester County.

Montco doesn't need the money? There's no "will owe" in Willow Grove, not for someone who bought a ticket at the Giant Food Store, 315 York Rd., for the May 21 Mega Millions drawing. It's worth $250,000 because it matched the first five numbers - 15, 20, 23, 26 and 30 - but not the Mega Ball of 17.