California lottery legal deadline passes

"The lottery's bill making the needed change — extension of California's prize-claim period to match 11 other Mega Millions states — remained stalled on the eve of Friday's deadline.

"Experts said the situation leaves only a plea for more time or an administrative fix that might not satisfy the judge as options.

"...An in-house, administrative solution might be unfair to California gamblers because they would not have the extra six months to claim Mega Millions prizes like their counterparts in other states that allow a year, lawmakers and attorneys said.

"...A law changing California's prize deadline would have fixed the problem for education — and would have taken care of gamblers. Alternative administrative solutions likely would not help California gamblers, who have six months less to collect prizes than players in other states, experts said..."