STOCKTON-

The person who bought a winning Super Lotto ticket worth $11 million has still not claimed the money over a week after the drawing.

The ticket was bought at a Shell gas station convenience store on Hammer Lane.

Customers still can’t believe it’s unclaimed.

“Eleven million dollars is nothing to sneeze at, that’s for sure. I would have turned it in,” customer Ken Montgomery said.

Angelique Torres who buys lottery tickets regularly agreed.

“Maybe they’re out of town on vacation and it’s in their car and they’re going to have a big surprise when they’re back,” said Torres.

In fact, unclaimed winnings or those slow to collect is not so uncommon. California Lottery officials say each year $20 to $25 million in winnings aren’t claimed because tickets are lost or forgotten.

Sometimes winners consult financial advisors before they turn their tickets in.

“They seek advice because this isn’t the kind of money that you take to your checking account and pop in there,” said California Lottery spokesperson Alex Traverso.

One man even turned in his winning ticket just before the six month deadline because he wanted to record the winnings in the next tax year.

The store has surveillance video of a woman who might have purchased the winning ticket, but Lottery officials have not confirmed that.

Two years ago a Plamdale woman collected on a ticket worth $23 million after five months because she forgot about buying it. It was in her car until a surveillance photo of her daughter buying the ticket was put on the news. A relative recognized her and they found the ticket.

Unclaimed California Lottery winnings are put into an account that goes to fund schools.