New York Lottery won't pay $25,000 for taped-up scratch-off ticket

If the validation numbers don't match the computer records, it is not a winner, torn or not.

Most states will payout on torn tickets as long as the ticket validation codes are intact. Scratching off matching numbers on the front is there for "entertainment purposes only" and it is the vaildation codes which matter...

Yes, most interesting. 

Right next to the (023) is the 228 that matches the front of the ticket.  The top and bottom don't match, but the fronts and backs in the picture are of the same upper and same lower pieces from different tickets.

Hi tnlotto1>>>can you believe the lawyer in this case. When it all comes out she may be forced to quit her job not only that but, who would want a lawyer as silly as that. You can sure tell she knows nothing about scratch tickets or, lottery for that matter. Other people in this forum picked up on other important points as well>>> the three little numbers at the bottom right hand corner and the losing letters on the ticket although, in Delaware if you win over $200.00 you would see odd letters on the ticket. This woman is lucky not to have to pay a $25,000 fine for fraud.

P.S. let me give you my pick for Delaware>>>it's 1995. I dreamed that someone told me to play that number just like that but, to only play it for $1.50 and no more>> not to mention that you may have giving me a winning number for Wed which is 4010 HA!HA!HA! can you tell that I am a true number player?.  GOOD LUCK

                                                                                                                numbergirly

I believe the lady's story.  She bought the tickets from a machine and the tickets came out torn.   

She honestly believed the torn tickets were two parts of a winning ticket, thus she taped the two halves together.  It was a foreseeable honest mistake on her part.   

Perhaps mistakes like this have happened in the past.  The machine may be defective and the lottery operators knew it, and yet they didn't do anything to correct the defect.  I would argue that it is gross negligence, to say the least, on the part of the lottery operators to continue taking the players' money, knowing fully well that the machine spews out torn tickets.

Did that gross negligence cause damage to the player?  Yes, at least $2.00 which was the price of the ticket. 

Is she entitled to the $25,000 prize?   Maybe.  If she can convince the judge that the prize was apparent on the face of the ticket;  that a reasonable person would be led to believe that the ticket was indeed a winner; and that the mistake was caused by the lottery's  gross negligence tantamount to fraud (a hard sell).  Written disclaimer of the lottery, notwithstanding.

She could also be entitled to other damages; afterall, she was subject to public ridicule by the lottery when she tried to claim the prize.

She needs to produce all parts of every ticket she bought. Most likely, one of the other tickets will be torn exactly like this one.

Here's what I think happened. She got home with the tickets and scratched a small portion to show it wasn't a winner and tore them in half. Her husband then tried to scratch them completely,but, put the two wrong pieces together. When they saw that it looked like a winner, greed took over.

The lawyer, living up to their sleazy reputation, did not use due diligence in investigating what constitutes a winning ticket. Their contract probably stipulates that they will get paid whether they win or lose, so they encouraged the people to press for a lawsuit.

As far as going out and spending almost half what she would collect, before collecting it, shows she needs the word "stupid" tattooed on her forehead.

 No kidding!  If she got a ticket that's cut in half, it should have been brought to the attention of the vendor.  A ticket cut directly in half would clearly match.  Crazy spending money before a winning ticket is even validated.

PLEASE, it's call STUPID and thinking that somebody else is stupid.

I am not into scratch offs, but the first thing that i noticed, before reading other posts was that the 10.00, (i though they were tens instead of forties, actually, looking at it real close it looks like one of each, didn't match.  and i wasnt sure if there was susppose to be two lines under the  winning number box. but it didnt look right.  it is possible like some say that the machine may have cut the tickets, but in a hurry or not, address the issue before you leave the store.   Anyway, we know that the bar code tells all. Even with the bar code, if we can see the discrepancies on computer, i believe that STEVE WONDER OR ROY ORBESON could detect it in real life.  PLEASE GIVE ME A BREAK WITH THE EXCUSES FOR THS LADY.   

CORRECTION:

Anyway, we know that the bar code tells all. Even WITHOUT  the bar code, if we can see the discrepancies on computer, i believe that STEVE WONDER OR ROY ORBESON could detect it in real life.  PLEASE GIVE ME A BREAK WITH THE EXCUSES FOR THIS LADY!!!   

As I am reading this story...I am thinking this is a DUMB lady. How do you spend money before you get it? Promising her Gkids a grand each and a down payment on a lexus.  For some reason she feels entitled to the money. I hope she loses and has to pay court costs for both parties.