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Since You Asked: Free tickets haven't won any Megabucks jackpots Saturday Oct 22, 2016 at 12:01 AM I've been playing Megabucks for years. I have won free tickets numerous times for the drawings. Has there ever been a winner of Megabucks on a free ticket? How long do they keep winning tickets. Do many winners never pick up their money? Where does the money go if nobody claims it? — Old Guy Well, Old Guy, I guess we can't call you rich guy quite yet. We hope you win some day, and we wouldn't mind winning ourselves here at Since You Asked headquarters. We checked in with Chuck Baumann, spokesman for Oregon Lottery, and he checked in with the folks working in his office. They said they don't recall anyone winning the Megabucks drawing from a free lottery ticket, though they acknowledge they don't track that kind of information. "As far as we know, no," he said. If you did have a winning ticket, you have one year to collect. Any prizes not claimed are turned over to the state. Over the years, the Oregon Lottery has had many instances where millions of dollars haven't been collected. In 2002 alone, $4 million went unclaimed, Baumann said. We know you're probably thinking, "What's wrong with those people who don't claim the ultimate prize?" We guess it will remain a mystery. — Send questions to “Since You Asked,” Mail Tribune Newsroom, P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501; by fax to 541-776-4376; or by email to [email protected]. To see a collection of columns, go to mailtribune.com/youasked. We’re sorry, but the volume of questions received prevents us from answering all of them.