It’s been nearly one month since a lucky Illinois lottery player won the $1.34 billion Mega Millions jackpot — yet no one has come forth to claim the winnings, the Illinois Lottery said.
The player purchased the single ticket in the Chicago suburb of Des Plaines and matched all six numbers in the July 29 drawing with white balls 13, 36, 45, 57 and 67, and the gold Mega Ball 14.
Meghan Powers, director of communications for the Illinois Lottery, told NBC News on Friday that the identity of the winner remains a mystery.
"For a prize of this magnitude, it’s not unusual for a winner to take a little bit longer to claim the prize as they may want to seek professional, legal and financial advice prior to claiming,” she said.
She said the state lottery will support the winner through the prize claim process to ensure “a great winning experience and support any requests for anonymity.”
The unclaimed windfall is the largest lottery prize ever won in Illinois and the third largest jackpot in U.S. history.
“I’m sure they’re going through a range of emotions,” Illinois Lottery Director Harold Mays said of the winner about a week after the draw.
"We don’t know whether or not they’re aware they’ve won this incredible prize," Mays said a day after the historic draw. "So we’re telling all of our players — check your tickets.”
Winners in Illinois have up to 12 months from the draw date to claim their prize and winners of over $250,000 can opt to remain anonymous.
The ticket was sold at a Speedway gas station, which will receive a bonus of $500,000 for selling the winning ticket.
Michael Browning, the Regional Director for Speedway, was ecstatic one of its customers won the historic jackpot.
“Nothing makes us happier than bringing a little bit of joy to our customers’ lives — or in this case, a whole lot of joy!" he said. "We’re thrilled to play a part in this customer’s winning journey and hope many others in the community can experience the same luck from this special store."