Russell Ruff thought his $150,000 Powerball ticket was gone forever until his 16-year-old cat got stuck behind a bed and led to an unexpected treasure hunt.
The Somers, Connecticut school bus driver had bought the ticket on Friday the 13th for “superstitious fun,” then promptly lost it somewhere in his house, according to a press release from the Connecticut Lottery.
Weeks later, when the family cat wandered behind a bed and couldn’t get out, Ruff and his sons moved the furniture to rescue their pet and discovered the missing ticket wedged in the same spot.
Don't Miss:
- They Sold Their Last Real Estate Company for Nearly $1B — Now They're Building the Future of U.S. Industrial Growth
- This Jeff Bezos-backed startup will allow you to become a landlord in just 10 minutes, with minimum investments as low as $100.
The serendipitous find highlights both the fragility of paper lottery tickets and the staggering amounts of prize money that go unclaimed each year when winners can’t locate their winning slips.
Ruff purchased his Powerball ticket on June 13 at Small Town LLC in Somers, choosing the date specifically for its superstitious significance.
The ticket matched four of five white balls (08-23-25-40-53) plus the red Powerball (05) in the June 14 drawing. Normally worth $50,000, Ruff's Power Play option tripled the prize to $150,000, just one number shy of the jackpot.
“We lost the ticket at home. It went behind a headboard, and we didn’t think too much of it,” he told lottery officials. “We didn’t really check the numbers.” When he finally scanned the ticket using the Connecticut Lottery app weeks later, Ruff had to check twice to believe the result. “It was a miracle,” he said.
Ruff’s near-miss with losing his ticket reflects a bigger problem for potential prize winners. Victor Matheson, an economics professor at the College of the Holy Cross who studies gambling, told SSBCrack News that approximately 1% of annual lottery revenue, over $1 billion nationwide, represents unclaimed prizes each year.
Trending: 7 Million Gamers Already Trust Gameflip With Their Digital Assets — Now You Can Own a Stake in the Platform
The phenomenon extends beyond small prizes. In the past 25 years, eight Powerball or Mega Millions jackpots totaling an estimated $646 million have gone completely unclaimed. Currently, a $1.128 billion Mega Millions prize won in New Jersey in March 2024 remains unclaimed with months left before expiration, according to Grunge.
Most states give winners between 90 days and one year to claim prizes, depending on the game and jurisdiction. Connecticut follows the typical 180-day rule for draw games like Powerball, meaning tickets expire roughly six months after the drawing date.
Stories of lost winning tickets can have heartbreaking outcomes. Mildred Simoneriluto of Pennsylvania discovered she’d won $2.5 million in May 2024, then realized she’d donated the jacket containing her ticket to charity, according to the New York Post. The organization ships clothing worldwide, making recovery impossible.
A UK couple, Martyn and Kay Tott, convinced lottery officials they’d legitimately won $5 million but couldn’t produce their ticket within the 30-day reporting window, according to Business Insider. The unclaimed jackpot destroyed their marriage and left them financially devastated.
Some stories do end well, however. In 2019, New Jersey’s Mike Weirsky left his $273 million Mega Millions ticket on a convenience store counter after being distracted by his cellphone, NPR reported. A good Samaritan turned in the ticket, allowing Weirsky to claim his fortune.
See Also: Backed by $300M+ in Assets and Microsoft's Climate Fund, Farmland LP Opens Vital Farmland III to Accredited Investors
Lottery officials increasingly encourage digital play and mobile apps to prevent lost tickets. Many states now offer online purchasing options that eliminate physical tickets entirely, automatically notifying winners through email or text.
For traditional paper tickets, experts recommend signing the back immediately after purchase, photographing tickets as backup records, and storing them in consistent, secure locations.
The Connecticut Lottery’s mobile app, which Ruff used to verify his win, allows players to scan tickets instantly to check results, potentially preventing situations where winners remain unaware of their good fortune.
Ruff’s cat may have provided the most unconventional ticket recovery service in lottery history, but the incident serves as a reminder that even life-changing prizes can slip through the cracks without proper precautions.
Read Next: $100k+ in investable assets? Match with a fiduciary advisor for free to learn how you can maximize your retirement and save on taxes – no cost, no obligation.
Image: Shutterstock
© 2025 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
