New prize redemption rules aimed at reducing theft
A former convenience store employee in North Bay, Ontario, is facing theft and fraud charges for allegedly redeeming two customers' scratch-and-win lottery tickets.
Sgt. Chris Williams of the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario's Investigation and Support Bureau says these are the first such charges the unit has laid since its inception Jan. 1.
The unit, comprised of provincial police officers, investigates claims of insider lottery wins.
In this case, police say two customers bought scratch-and-win tickets at a convenience store in North Bay.But when they went to redeem them, the tickets were already registered as having been paid out.
Tyler Stewart, 23, who is no longer an employee of the convenience store, was charged with two counts each of theft under $5,000 and fraud under $5,000.
New signature requirements
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has recently been instituting steps to cut down on the possibility of store employee theft and fraud. The initiative is called the Lottery Prize Integrity Program.
One of those steps is a new, prominent signature requirement for each ticket that is redeemed for a prize.
Traditionally, lotteries advise players to sign the back of winning tickets to prove ownership of the ticket. However, many people overlook this step because there is rarely any directs on the face of the ticket to sign it on the back.
When a player does not sign their winning ticket, it leaves open the possibility that an unscrupulous store employee could inform the player that the ticket did not win, and then claim the prize for themselves.
And this is exactly what took place several times in Ontario.
Under the new rules, a store employee cannot redeem a winning ticket until it is signed by the player — and the signature line is front and center on the ticket, in both French and English.
The retailer is also asked to:
- Check to ensure all tickets are signed before validating them,
- Ask customers to sign if it is not signed,
- Provide the validation receipt to the customer,
- Keep the lottery clutter away from the lottery terminal, instant ticket device or the printer, and,
- Ensure the customer display screen is readily visible to the customer.
The OLGC has created a web site outlining the many new procedures and rules instituted to restore public confidence in the lottery. The new site can be found at http://www.olg.ca/prize_integrity_program.jsp.
Editor: Thanks to Lottery Post member dx123 for the ticket image showing the signature requirement. Click the image to see it full-size in a new window.
I'm glad that TPTB have finally taken measures to try and stop store clerks from ripping off their customers. This seems like a good step. Although, I still believe that people need to check their tickets themselves and not rely on the store clerks to do it.
Goody, goody.
We have had people bring in tickets from other stores where they have already collected and asked to cash them again.
We tell them that the ticket has already been paid and they argue with us.
There are ways to tell where the ticket is bought, where it was cashed in , etc.
I cannot wait until the day has a fit and calls the lottery commission to set up jail time for themselves.
Good folks in the LP>>
As Americans and Canadians on this big North American continent that our ancesters built for us to use, we come from descent law abiding families with good civil intentions of holding respect for everyday life and the people in it, there is a problem to solve. This note is intended for those who are on the fence and about to do something stupid that will affect the rest of their lives and perhaps your victims too!
Don't you know by now [as in wake-up] that our law-abiding associated democratic countries have all the things possible that we would ever need in this world to live a good honest life, and indeed some of us do. We know because we are the ones who know the difference. Our hard working parents and grand-parents as a family taught us that difference message long ago. And that difference is a matter of choice in the right and wrong department. There is absolutelty no need for stealing, lying, cheating or being insincere and dishonest or cheatful to ourselves or to anyone else, and I might add, to any object like defacing public property that we paid for and see everyday-it is NOT ART.
It seems these days that the 'wrong' side of the list is heavy, very heavy with criminal deeds and intentions, we can see that on TV on any given day. That's the communications power we developed over the years. And, is that why we developed that power, to show the rest of the world and ourselves we are mentally deficient with repect for our people and our public property in our daily lives? I am not religious by any means nor a member of any party of any type, just a thinking human being with desire to comprehend and value the many academic, scientific and professional disciplines that occupy my interest.
If one little instance that anyone can do to make a change, its the one of driving a car to run your daily errands. Speeders and tailgaters are the worst. Why? It would seem that they are in a hurry to get somewhere, buy something, see somebody. Hey, its your gasoline! Why speed? We have it all and all the time in the world to solve our little daily problem. This is the kind of thing I am talking about, those that don't know the very simple rules of the road, [life-in general terms too-perhaps] finger jestering to their fellow drivers all the way to their particular appointment. How much real driving fun is that? How can you do business with a person like that? What would they think of you at the meeting and you, them? Trust and respect does not exist in OUR open society anymore and has been replaced with the 'confidence to get away with' a public crime. However, I am very glad they get caught.
yt
dx123
Sometimes dumbass cashiers scan a ticket and don't cash out for some reason and don't check to make sure that the ticket is not left in the paid status. The ticket holder goes to the next store and it registers paid. A lady made the news in my city when she had to go to the lottery commission to have it straighten out just because a dumbass cashier didn't do her job right. It took her months to get paid.
Sure we have crooks but everybody ain't dishonest when a ticket shows paid. In case you weren't clear on that.
I can envision a future where:
Sounds good.
they would probably find a flaw in it.
Someone would say that clerk put their finger under yours or something.
I wouldn't be surprised if a clerk did just that. They have earned a reputation of not to be trusted and dishonesty.
Just on the news tonight. A clerk in a town next to us was sneaking in at night and printing lottery tickets. $30,000 over a period of time. The owners couldn't figure out why they were not making as much money an people were buying lottery tickets, so for 3 days they staked out the store to see who was doing it.
This one guy who worked there - using his key, turned off the alarm system and started printing out tickets and they took to him with a baseball bat. A baseball bat.
no s**t.
"People will marvel at the convenience and security of it all."
Apparently they already are.
"Sounds good."
Tenaj....you are absolutely correct.