Winning the lottery is only a dream for most people. But for some, it’s as easy as digging their ticket out of their pocket.

Every year, millions of dollars worth of lottery prizes goes unclaimed because people lose their tickets, or don’t realize they’re a winner.

"People tend to misplace tickets, stuff them in their purse, stuff them in their pockets, and then before you know it, they're misplaced," said Marie Kilbane, of the Ohio Lottery.

In 2007, more than $33 million went unclaimed in Ohio. That’s a figure that shocked some people in the Ohio Valley.

"I’m astounded. Really, that's a lot of money. That is," said Tia Lancia, of Steubenville.

The biggest ticket that went unclaimed in Ohio was a $14 million ticket in 2003. No one came forward after 180 days, and the ticket became worthless.

Right now there are two large winning tickets that haven’t expired. In Akron, a $1 million ticket was sold on New Year’s Eve, and never claimed. In Toledo there is a $100,000 ticket that expires in March.

Any prizes that go unclaimed in Ohio go to the Lottery Profits Education Fund, which helps support public schools.

John Paul, NEWS9