Imagine checking last night’s lottery numbers and realizing the ticket you bought at the gas station is worth $1 million. Then you reach into your wallet… and the ticket isn’t there. You check your car, pockets, kitchen counter, trash can, and every other place you can think of, but your potentially life-changing piece of paper has vanished. Unfortunately, a lost winning lottery ticket can create a serious problem because many state lotteries treat unsigned tickets as bearer instruments, meaning possession of the physical ticket can determine who is able to claim the prize. The exact rules vary by jurisdiction, but if you discover that a winning ticket is missing, what you did before losing it (and what you do next) can matter enormously.
