Lottery Terminals Err ... Here's Absolute Proof ...

Originally Posted: July 12, 2007
Revised:

Some months back, after MUCH ado, the lottery terminals started producing two receipts
when checking tickets for players - one receipt is for the retailer to keep and one receipt is for
the Player to keep. Until this change was made, players could NOT get a receipt when they
asked clerks to check their tickets. This enabled the clerks to tell players their tickets
were losers when in fact, they may have been winners.

As it stands today, most of the time, players have to ASK for a copy of their receipt or
they won't get it. It is REALLY very important that you start getting those receipts when
they scan your tickets and tell you that you have no winners. Get proof AND I'd get
my "losing" tickets back too. You can also use the receipts to VERIFY
that you were paid correctly. This would prevent clerks from telling
you that you won $2 when it may have been $150!

You can throw the receipts away later - but not at the
store. Just start getting your receipts when they scan your tickets - OK?

Anyway, below (left) is a $15 winning scratch ticket. The last game on the ticket is the
section that is worth $15.

On the right is the back side of the ticket. What you need to pay attention to here is
the bar code number.

Below the scratch ticket images are TWO terminal receipts - the 1st receipt shows the ticket was
"NOT A Winner" while the second receipt for the SAME ticket - 42 seconds later - shows
the ticket is worth $15.

IF the player had NOT known he had a winning ticket, he'd have lost his winnings. In this case, the
clerk wouldn't have gotten the prize either. But the state would have! It would have been put into the
"unclaimed prize fund" and later divided by two hospitals and the General Revenue Fund.

All state lotteries should STOP clerks from checking players tickets. The only tickets that stores
should be able to check are those where the player comes in and says, "I've got a winning ticket,
can I collect on it please." But lotteries don't want to prevent clerks from checking tickets and the
reason is shown below. This is not a fluke - it happens daily to unsuspecting players. Lotteries want
to add as much money as humanly possible to their unclaimed prize fund and this is a sure
fire way of increasing revenues for the state.

As for clerks stealing players winnings, the lotteries attitude is that the player is responsible for
knowing if his ticket is a winner or not when he takes it to the store. Therefore, its the players
own fault if he gets stiffed. Imagine that!

Now scroll down and have a look for yourself. I've made additional remarks below too ...

 

 

This is a $15 Winning Ticket

This is the back side of the ticket to the left


This is the 1st Receipt -
Shows the ticket above is NOT A Winner


This is the 2nd receipt of the SAME ticket - scanned 42 seconds later
showing the ticket above IS a $15 winner!

 

Here's what you need to notice ...

1. Both receipts show the bar code for the ticket scanned - 810-0004049-046.
It matches the back of the ticket I scanned in to my computer -
absolute proof that it's the same ticket.

2. Both receipts show the time the ticket was scanned - 21:44:33 & 21:45:14.
This is 42 seconds apart and CLEARLY, it's the same scratch ticket.

3. The clerks generally look at the screen on their terminal as it tells him if the ticket is a
winner or not. Occasionally they will look at the printed receipt but only at the
bottom of the receipt because it shows him real fast if and how much he owes you.

4. Notice the receipt showing the ticket is "not a winner" - the top of the
ticket says, "Instant Ticket Validation Not Accepted" whereas the receipt
showing the $15 win says, "Instant Ticket Validation."

Just what does "Not Accepted" mean? Don't know for sure but I think it means
the scan didn't really work. So you ask yourself - if the scan didn't work, WHY does
the receipt and terminal say "SORRY, NOT A WINNER?"

I have asked the TLC to tell me what "not accepted" means but do not have an answer
YET. If it turns out that my conclusion to the meaning of "Not Accepted" is wrong,
I'll correct this writing when I obtain the answer.

Now for the really bad news ... do you know what's going to happen for me posting this story?
Staff at the TLC is going to go after the retailer for giving the player back his "winning ticket."
About all I can say about this is that the clerk did the right thing because he knew FOR SURE
that his terminal erred and the only way the player had to counter this was to keep the "evidence."
If this retailer has a problem, tell them to call me and I'll point them in the right direction.

In Conclusion ... folks I've been telling you for years that the terminals err but in the past,
players had no way of proving it without an excessive expense plus spending lots of their
valuable time to prove it. The $2, $5 & $10 prizes are hardly worth driving 30 miles or
writing letters full of details that players don't know have to be included in writing ... I could
go on with what players go through to TRY to collect their prizes but I won't at this time.

I sincerely want to thank the player who sent me the ticket and receipts so I could show you.
He's had many run ins with the TLC and retailers in the past and gave up on his other battles
because it was too much trouble for so little money. But this time he got them and as a result,
YOU now know that what I've been trying to tell you is TRUE.

Do NOT let clerks check your tickets ... do not TRUST the lottery terminals including the
SST's to tell you if your ticket is a winner. Check your own tickets and know what you have
BEFORE trying to collect your prizes. Just think about checking out groceries at the store, how
often does the scanner fail to read the bar code and how often are you charged incorrectly? Well,
the lottery terminals are 1000 times worse than any grocery store scanner.

Do me a favor, send me an email and tell me about your experiences with your collections.
In the subject line, please write "Collecting Prizes."

- Don't RISK This Happening To You Anymore -
Check your own tickets and get those receipts.


Look What I Got For My Money - TWO Days In A Row!
Let me know if this has happened to you. OK?
Posted 7/10/07 - Click here.

The Lotto Report
(All About the Lotteries)
Dawn Nettles
P. O. Box 495033
Garland, Texas 75049-5033
(972) 686-0660
(972) 681-1048 (Fax)