Publishers Clearing House’s bankruptcy may mean some winners won’t get money promised

They were told they would be getting money forever, but forever isn’t, well, forever.

Publishers Clearing House declared bankruptcy in April and gaming platform ARB Interactive bought some of the company’s assets for $7.1 million, starting “PCH Digital” to offer sweepstakes, The Associated Press reported.

But with the purchase came the end of prizes that were issued before July 15. That means anyone who won before that date will no longer get their prizes, except for two “SuperPrizes” that had not been awarded, the AP said.

The AP said that it is not known how many people had been “forever” winners who are no longer being paid.

The company had liabilities of between $50 million and $100 million when it filed for bankruptcy and assets of between $1 million and $10 million, CNN reported. The estimated value of all promised prizes was $26 million, with $1.9 million due this year.

John Wyllie won the $5,000 a week “forever” prize in 2012, KGW reported. He was able to retire and buy a house thanks to the sweepstakes money.

While promoted as $5,000 a week forever, every January, Willie said he got a $260,000 single payment. The math works out as $260,000 divided by 52 weeks is $5,000; he just didn’t get 52 checks. The payment for 2025, however, never came, and he told KGW no one told him that it wasn’t going to come.

Wyllie, 61, said that the sweepstakes was his income and he may not be able to get a job since he had been retired for so long.

Publishers Clearing House was started by a Long Island, New York family who sent direct-to-consumer mailings to get subscribers for various magazines through one mailing in 1953. Their company would earn a commission on subscriptions that were sold, CNN reported.

Over a decade later, they added the direct mail sweepstakes to promote the mailings. The Prize Patrol, which would bring news of windfalls, started in 1989 and was featured in television commercials.