One lucky Hoosier just stumbled into a $15.8 million lottery win.

The gambler purchased the ticket in Fort Wayne, but hasn’t come forward to claim the prize yet.

Fort Wayne Hoosier Lottery jackpot win

The Aug. 14 jackpot win was a long time coming.

Until then, Indiana hadn’t had a Hoosier Lottery  jackpot winner since November 2020. The last winning ticket was sold in Santa Claus, Indiana.

It took 76 Hoosier Lottery jackpot drawings to finally pull another winner. That’s a big gap in the lottery timeline.

Last year, five different winners took home the big prize. Fort Wayne’s jackpot win is the first of 2021, and at this rate, it might be the last.

Because of the long gap between winning drawings, the jackpot grew to a pretty hefty amount.

For the sake of comparison, that Santa Claus jackpot was worth $2.2 million at the time. Fort Wayne’s $15.8 million pot is obviously a big step up from that number.

The $15.8 million winning numbers were 8–18–27–31–36–42.

How to claim lottery prizes in Indiana

Every lottery player hopes to win big one day.

Winning a massive jackpot might not happen for everyone, but many gamblers will still be able to get their hands on smaller prizes.

Thankfully, claiming a lottery prize is easy in Indiana. The process differs based on how much money your win is worth.

If you win $600 or less, then claiming your prize should be relatively simple.

Ask the retailer that you bought your Hoosier Lottery ticket from to cash you out. Most retailers will allow you to claim smaller prizes right where you bought the ticket.

If claiming your prize from the retailer doesn’t work out for you, then you’ll have to snag it by mailing your ticket directly to the Hoosier Lottery.

Here’s how that process works:

1. Fill out the back section of your ticket
2. Complete a lottery winner claim form downloaded from the Hoosier Lottery’s site
3. Staple your ticket to a copy of a government-issued ID
4. Mail the entire bundle to 1302 North Meridian Street Suite 100, Indianapolis, IN 46202
5. Wait 1-2 weeks for your winnings

The mail-in option is good for prizes ranging from $600-$49,999. You can also visit a Hoosier Lottery prize center to claim your winnings.

Win a massive prize like the $15.8 million Fort Wayne jackpot? Well, then it’s time to create an appointment.

You have to claim those huge prizes in-person, so call the Hoosier Lottery at 1-800-955-6886 to set up a meeting.

You might also want to contact a lawyer and a financial advisor while you’re at it.