Illinois Grocery Store Winner Could Forfeit $200K Soon

Safe to say that most people go into a grocery store to buy food. There's one person in Illinois who also picked up a ticket that is now worth $200K, but they're at risk of losing this huge prize in just a few weeks.

According to the Illinois Lottery, someone stopped in this Springfield Hy-Vee a few months ago

Illinois Grocery Store Winner Could Forfeit $200K Soon

This is the Hy-Vee located at 2115 S MacArthur Boulevard in Springfield, Illinois. On December 15, 2025, a mystery person entered this Hy-Vee and picked up a Powerball ticket that is valued at $200K. As of this writing, they have not claimed it according to the Illinois Lottery Unclaimed Prizes site. Since Illinois Lottery winners have a full calendar year to claim prizes, there's still time for someone to come forward, but not much. This prize will be forfeited on December 15, 2026. As of now, that's only about 10 weeks away.

How much is a $200,000 Illinois Lottery prize worth after taxes are taken out?

• Gross Prize: $200,000
• Federal Withholding (24%): -$48,000
• Illinois State Withholding (4.95%): -$9,900
• Estimated Check Amount: $142,100

That would be a painful tax bill to pay, but the $142K take home would be more than worth it. Just a guess that whoever has this Powerball ticket has no idea they won. It's also possible they've learned they're not eligible. No matter the reason, it would be a shame to have someone win this prize but never claim it. Time to check those tickets if this Springfield, Illinois grocery store looks familiar.