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If you won

You won't remain anonymous, and someone will have to present a valid Lotto ticket in the capital. After you check your numbers, check out how your income ranks against pooh-bahs and Pooh.

By GRAHAM BRINK
Published April 20, 2006

So now we know the numbers: 12-13-17-27-32-36. What next?

Early this morning, Florida Lottery officials ran computer searches and determined there are two winning tickets. One was purchased in Port St. Lucie; the other in Lady Lake in Lake County.

No one will be declared a winner until they show up at the Florida Lottery office in Tallahassee with a valid ticket. Winning tickets undergo a forensic exam to ensure against forgeries.

Winners have 180 days to cash their tickets. But anyone who waits more than 60 days loses the option of taking the money in a lump sum. Instead, they will take the payout over 30 years, said Florida Lottery spokesman Alfred Bea. That's usually not a problem with big jackpots.

"Do you know anyone who will wait that long to check a ticket potentially worth more than $80-million?" Bea asked.

If you won, don't expect to remain anonymous. Florida law requires that winners' names and hometowns be released to anyone who asks.

"Even if someone, like your lawyer, is claiming the prize on your behalf, we still view you as the winner," Bea said. If no one claims the jackpot in time, 80 percent goes to education and 20 percent to enhancing the prizes of other Florida Lottery games, Bea said.

"But we much prefer that the rightful winner comes in to claim their prize," he said.

Two tickets purchased in Port St. Lucie and Lady Lake matched all six Lotto numbers to win a jackpot of $41 million each, lottery officials said Thursday. A total of 490 tickets matched five numbers to win $4,268.50; 25,986 tickets matched four numbers for $65; and 503,152 tickets matched three numbers for $4.50.

Times researcher Angie Drobnic Holan and wire services contributed to this report.

[Last modified April 20, 2006, 10:49:35]