Here's What Happens When a Powerball Winner Doesn't Claim Their Prize

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• Powerball prizes must be claimed in the jurisdiction the ticket was purchased in by a deadline set by that jurisdiction.
• Failure to adhere to these requirements results in the jackpot being distributed amongst all states and territories where people bought Powerball tickets.
• Each state has its own rules for how it distributes unclaimed lottery prizes.

I know I'm supposed to be a sensible personal finance writer providing sound advice about how to help your money go further, but I'm also human. And that means that huge lottery jackpots like Powerball's estimated $1.4 billion drawing for Saturday still catch my eye. There's almost no one on earth that kind of money wouldn't be life-changing for, and I have plenty of ideas for how I'd like to spend it.

But like most people who have ever played the lottery, I'm all too familiar with the sting of defeat when the jackpot's finally won and I'm not holding the golden ticket. You might try to console yourself by hoping that the winner doesn't come forward to claim their prize, but what happens then? It's possible the money could come back to you, just not in the way you think.