Unclaimed Nanuet Lottery Ticket Prompts Call for Change from Carlucci

The deadline is today for an unclaimed lottery ticket worth $1 million.

Yesterday State Sen. David Carlucci (D-Rockland, Westchester) visited the Quick Mart in Nanuet where, one year ago, a $1 million lottery ticket was sold.

It has never been claimed.

Under current law money that is not claimed within one year from the date of the drawing or from the close of the game in which the prize was won is forfeited and retained in the lottery prize account to be used for payment of any special lotto prizes that may be offered, or for promotional purposes to supplement other lottery games on an occasional basis.

Carlucci announced that he will introduce a bill to put aside unclaimed lottery winnings into a special fund that would fund kindergarten throughout the State of New York.

Currently New York is one of several states that does not mandate kindergarten. 26 schools currently only offer half day kindergarten to their students leaving thousands of children behind during those critical early learning years. Study after study has shown that children’s early learning experiences have a profound effect on their development.

Here’s the bottom line, Carlucci said:

• In 2013, New York State received $65 million dollars in unclaimed lottery winnings that went right back to the lotto system.
• The Citizens Budget Commission estimated this year it would cost $77 million to bring full day kindergarten to every school in the State.

“Tomorrow New York State will be losing $1 million dollars that could have been saved to pay for the expansion of kindergarten throughout the Hudson Valley and our State,” he said in a press conference at the Quick Mart. “This legislation will provide much-needed funds to school districts to support their kindergarten programs so that every child in New York will continue to have access to the important benefits kindergarten offers.”