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Iowa Lottery requires winners to sign tickets
Iowa Lottery requires winners to sign ticketsPosted: 3/10/2008 10:24:16 AM  On the heels of a similar announcement from the Ontario Lottery, the Iowa Lottery has imposed a new rule aimed at reducing the possibility of retailer fraud. Starting March 15, 2008, Iowa retailers will only be able to check and cash lottery tickets if they have first been signed by the ticketholder. The lottery also reinforced that players are responsible for the accuracy of their tickets before leaving the store, and for determining if their ticket is a winner. Under current rules, retailers are able to scan unsigned tickets and inform players if they won. The possibility of retailer fraud emerges in the situation where a player is informed by the retailer that a winning ticket was a loser, and the retailer later claims the winning ticket themselves. In Ontario, this situation played out so many times that the Ontario Lottery suffered a severe blow to its reputation, and was forced to institute strict ticket-signing rules. Investigations by police caught some of the criminal retailers, but many others are thought to have escaped prosecution. In addition to the new ticket-signing rule, the Iowa Lottery will also begin printing receipts for every lottery ticket scanned at a retailer, whether it was a winner or not. The receipts will be printed starting sometime in May. On the Iowa Lottery Web site, the lottery claims that, "[R]eports of fraud, theft and scams [occur] every day." The Iowa Lottery has a section on the site titled, "Player Security", with the tagline, "We take fun seriously." (http://www.ialottery.com/Player_Security/Player_Security.html) The site contains player security tips, explanations of the new ticket-signing rule, a discussion of lottery scams, and various ways to report fraud. It will be joined by a planned public service campaign that will educate players about the changes. Iowa Lottery vice president, Mary Neubauer, says the minute you put your name on the ticket, it protects you, it also protects the store from claims they did something wrong. She explained that it helps maintain the integrity of the entire lottery system. Iowa lottery leaders say it will cost about $500,000 dollars a year to put the plan into practice. Source: Lottery Post Staff
mn United States Member #59524 March 4, 2008 237 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 10:47 am - IP Logged |
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I suppose it's not a really big deal, I guess it's good. But if you dont win anything above a couple hundred i dont see the big deal in signing the tickets.
Plus that's in Ontario, Im nowhere near there so I cant really have input.
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Idaho United States Member #56982 November 21, 2007 1143 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 12:16 pm - IP Logged |
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Starting March 15, 2008, Iowa retailers will only be able to check andcash lottery tickets if they have first been signed by the ticketholder.
I wonder if this is going to start happening in other states.
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Atlanta, GA United States Member #1288 March 13, 2003 2189 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 2:41 pm - IP Logged |
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Many Publix supermarkets in Georgia have a self-scanner for customers to check their own tickets without them leaving their hand. That method would probably cut down on needing a receipt for every ticket scanned. Maybe it was more cost effective for Iowa to do it that way instead of installing self scanners for all retailers. Be$$$$$t of luck to everyone!!!
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Nashville, Tn United States Member #39102 May 3, 2006 226 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 2:42 pm - IP Logged |
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Starting March 15, 2008, Iowa retailers will only be able to check andcash lottery tickets if they have first been signed by the ticketholder.
I wonder if this is going to start happening in other states. i hope so  waiting patiently for my jackpot
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United States Member #50584 February 26, 2007 601 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 4:22 pm - IP Logged |
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I don't see how signing the tickets will help. If it's a $50 winner, could the clerk not just say woo hoo you won $5 and take the rest for him/herself after you leave the store? If you know how much it won and complain, they could say oops I misread it. It is $50. Is the lottery commission going to start calling people and ask if they were paid the correct amount? They'd have a tough time with mine cuz my signature is illegible.
We have self-checkers here too, but they still don't tell you how much you won. They just say please see the cashier. Do those in other states tell you how much?
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Atlanta, GA United States Member #1288 March 13, 2003 2189 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 4:43 pm - IP Logged |
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I don't see how signing the tickets will help. If it's a $50 winner, could the clerk not just say woo hoo you won $5 and take the rest for him/herself after you leave the store? If you know how much it won and complain, they could say oops I misread it. It is $50. Is the lottery commission going to start calling people and ask if they were paid the correct amount? They'd have a tough time with mine cuz my signature is illegible.
We have self-checkers here too, but they still don't tell you how much you won. They just say please see the cashier. Do those in other states tell you how much? I'm not sure if they tell you how much here or not. However, it's easy enough to ask for a printout ticket showing winning numbers on a given day, then checking the back of a play slip for payout amounts .... after signing and before handing it over to the clerk. Be$$$$$t of luck to everyone!!!
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Chief Bottle Washer New Jersey United States Member #1 May 31, 2000 14692 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 4:51 pm - IP Logged |
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I don't see how signing the tickets will help. If it's a $50 winner, could the clerk not just say woo hoo you won $5 and take the rest for him/herself after you leave the store? If you know how much it won and complain, they could say oops I misread it. It is $50. Is the lottery commission going to start calling people and ask if they were paid the correct amount? They'd have a tough time with mine cuz my signature is illegible.
We have self-checkers here too, but they still don't tell you how much you won. They just say please see the cashier. Do those in other states tell you how much? Read the rest of the report -- you get a printed receipt.
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United States Member #50584 February 26, 2007 601 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 4:54 pm - IP Logged |
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Read the rest of the report -- you get a printed receipt. If you're not informed enough to know what you won, are you going to know to ask for that receipt?
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Prince of Insufficient Light United States Member #13375 March 30, 2005 931 Posts Offline |
| Posted: March 10, 2008, 4:58 pm - IP Logged |
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Starting March 15, 2008, Iowa retailers will only be able to check andcash lottery tickets if they have first been signed by the ticketholder.
I wonder if this is going to start happening in other states. Absolutely. In the U.S., lottery winnings are taxable as income.
Receipt for you, receipt for retailer, receipt for taxman. 1099-G
I made a comment about this in another thread, a few days ago. Nil Satis Nisi Optimum
Truth is treason in the empire of lies.
El diablo mas sabe por viejo, que por diablo.
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