Sopranos' Vinny Vella fumes over $5M lotto misprint

So let me get this straight - regardless of the error on this particular ticket, everyone, including the lottery says even if it prints the correct winning number where you scratch, it could be an error.  And they won't pay.

Suppose the error looks like a losing ticket where you scratch?  But the code number below shows your ticket to be a big winner.  How are you supposed to ever know it wasn't a loser?  No one I know has every ticket scanned.

I think lotteries should pay for any and all legitimate printing errors.  "Legitimate" errors that actually have a winning number shown where you scratch.   They should be accountable for those kinds of mistakes.   I have no idea how to solve my question concerning an error in favor of the player when it is in the code numbers.

I agree. In a way it's like a car accident. If you hit another car, even if it was an accident, you're still the one at fault, and you still have to pay. It's the lottery's responsibility to make sure the lowest amount of defected tickets are sold. They neglected to do that, thus they have committed negligence. You can still forget whatever legal disclaimers they have or the letters that are under the numbers; negligence still remains. I would be upset too if I spent $20 on a defected ticket to find out I didn't win anything.

........after officials at a state lottery office refuted his claims, insisting one of the sevens was actually a number 17.

The official also pointed out an abbreviation underneath the numeral to dispel any further queries.

Vinny argued that the 17 looked like a 77 because of the ink over run but just like any document of value, like a regular check for example, both the printed numbers and the written numbers have to agree.  That's not a new rule made up to deny him a prize,  that rule has alway applied to everyone who buys a scratch-off tickets.  He doesn't have an argument.

RJ

He doesn't have an argument.

I did say "regardless of the error on this particular ticket."  You are probably right about this particular case. 

If you read the article again, maybe you'll notice that they didn't sell 4500 tickets that were known to be defective. They knew there was a problem with 4500 tickets, so they weren't sold. No matter how careful they are there will always be some errors. That's one of the reasons that the numbers are printed as numerals and as words. You can hope as much as you want, but he will lose.

I think the example of a check is a good analogy.   Someone might go to a bank hoping a check is really for $455.00   If it says Forty-five and 50/100 dollars then it's not $450.00.   

If the number you scratch says "7" and below it is printed svtn or whatever to indicate seventeen, then it is like a check.   They should give the person back their money though - or replace the ticket.

If the number you scratch says "7" and below it is printed seven - and the code number that the lottery looks at says it is not a winner - they should pay.   My argument is, if everything looks right to the consumer but the only way to tell a ticket is a loser is in the secret code number - the lottery should pay regardless if they say there was some error.   

I agree with you, but I'm sort of in the dark here, because it's been a long time since I've purchase a scratch-off.  Has that ever happened?

Jimmy should get paid,if there were mistakes made on the winning tickets, just think how many losers have been thrown away that was winners it works both ways.NONE of the lotterys have ever acknowledge that they
misprints on losing tickets.   it never happens

I don't play Scratch off tickets. I only play ball machine drawings.

what I have a problem with, is that the lottery officials mistakes are not just limited to scratch offs.

I wonder how many drawing errors they have made in the Powerball and Megamillions.

I remember one misdraw myself. had I have had those numbers that originally came up that draw and the lottery officials refused to pay me. you can believe that we would have been going to court!

wether or not I would have won the argument is debateable, but I bet it would have made some headlines.