Colorado Lottery investigates 21-time prize winner

Jan 8, 2009, 1:48 am (64 comments)

Colorado Lottery

Cash 5Is it unfair to investigate a player just because he plays a lot?

The Colorado Lottery launched an investigation into a repeat winner and his self-described "system" for winning the Cash Five jackpot again and again.

The real reason Tadeusz Krupa wins so often may have nothing to do with luck, skill or cheating. He may just play... a lot.

Krupa splits his time between two modest homes. One houses his ex-wife and children in Brighton. The other is also the office for T&D Polish Imports & Exports, Inc. in Fort Lupton. Inside, there is little evidence Krupa is importing and exporting anything other than his own money into and out of the Colorado Lottery.

The Fort Lupton home office is sparsely furnished: a few chairs, a computer, some papers scattered about the floor and a kitchen pantry filled with stacks of lottery tickets.

The multitude of tickets, along with luck, are the only valid explainations for Krupa's winning ways, say lottery officials.

The Colorado Lottery investigated when other lottery players complained that Krupa and his immediate family had won $1,000 or more in Colorado's Cash 5 game a total of 21 times since December 2007.

His $158,000 haul, before taxes, includes seven $20,000 jackpots.

"We know that this gentlemen didn't scam the system," said Colorado Lottery Deputy Director Tom Kitts.

Kitts says lottery investigators interviewed the Krupa family and store employees where the winning tickets were bought. Kitts says there is no sign of any wrongdoing.

"It was just an unusual occurance," said Kitts. "My best guess is this gentlemen and his family probably play quite a bit... there's been an incredible streak of luck here as well."

"I have a system," said Krupa.

"It is up here," he added, tapping his forehead.

"If anyone claims to have a system, they may believe they have a system, but we certainly don't believe there is such a thing," said Kitts.

Krupa says he searches for "winning numbers" on the Internet, then fills out thousands of playing tickets by hand. Store clerks say Krupa has been known to buy thousands of dollars worth of tickets a week.

Krupa claims he has won more than he has spent. There is no way to prove it. The Colorado Lottery does not track individuals' purchases.

He often gives his winning tickets to family members to redeem and the lottery does not track winners of less than $1,000, so it is impossible to put an exact total on his winnings.

Krupa was nonchalant when asked about the idea of luck.

"Maybe," he said with a shrug.

Krupa says he is taking a few months off from playing the lottery.

While he plays thousands of number combinations at a time, Krupa says he has a set of "lucky numbers", and offered to share them if anyone is interested: 8, 12, 16, 22 and 27.

Krupa claims his first lottery win was also his largest, a $500,000 jackpot in his native Poland three decades ago.

The real reason Tadeusz Krupa wins so often may have nothing to do with luck, skill or cheating. He may just play... a lot.
The real reason Tadeusz Krupa wins so often may have nothing to do with luck, skill or cheating. He may just play... a lot.

Thanks to LckyLary for being the first to send the tip.

9NEWS

Comments

joe blacks's avatarjoe blacks

very skillful player,. i believe you , cheat how is he can cheat  LC  you going down,. Keep it up my friend LOL

jackpotismine's avatarjackpotismine

I think this is great! I think other people are just jealous that he keeps winning.He does spend quite a bit on the games. More power to him.

ThatScaryChick's avatarThatScaryChick

I agree. I think there may be a bit of jealousy going on, since he wins a lot. It also sounds like he spends a lot of money to get those wins.

Icezkube's avatarIcezkube

Hahaha the lottery cant do nothing to him, he won those fair and square.  :) Though his system dont sound all that good lol

myturn's avatarmyturn

Why is he being dragged through the mud? He has not been accused of anything, never mind charged or convicted. The lottery should not have revealed his identity until it had some evidence of wrong-doing. If someone is involved in fraud they should be investigated and if there is evidence, they should be charged, and if convicted, punished.

 

Just because someone wins a lot it does not mean he is doing something wrong. Innocent unlit proven guilty. I hope he sues the lottery for defamation and wins!

1977's avatar1977

Colorado Lottery should have look at it privately instead of blasting the man name all  over the country. Really,sound like some haters at the Colorado Lottery  office.

jarasan's avatarjarasan

Joe the Lottery winner.

mymonthlypicks's avatarmymonthlypicks

Quote: Originally posted by Icezkube on Jan 8, 2009

Hahaha the lottery cant do nothing to him, he won those fair and square.  :) Though his system dont sound all that good lol

If you have a system and WIN more then you spend Then its a good System. How many People do you know can say they win more then they spend. DO YOU

time*treat's avatartime*treat

"The Colorado Lottery investigated when other lottery players complained..."  (emphasis, mine)

Keep "other players" out of your business.

No word yet on why other players are such losers (take that how you wish).

konane's avatarkonane

Colorado Cash 5 and Lotto both are 'Draw Method: Computer Random Number Generator.'

https://www.lotterypost.com/game/10

https://www.lotterypost.com/game/11

Hats off Mr. Krupa you're beating 'em at their own behind closed doors game!!!!!  Keep up the good work!!!!  Party  Party Party

Jake's avatarJake

    Casinos do this all the time - they do not have to have a reason to kick you out but winning more than you lose consistently is probably in the top 3 reasons players are blacklisted.   If I was this player and his family, I'd be looking for the best attorney out there.   What I love is the self-serving justification - they are investigating a man who could not possibly have a system to beat the system but he deserves to be investigated- isn't there an oxymoron in there somewhere?

        There are people who win frequently for any number of reasons.  This should serve as fair warning to all of us who play to win - the lotteries we play have virtually unlimited money to make us the posterchild for 'this person wins a lot so he/she must be doing something illegal."  Every transaction is recorded, many videotaped.   Having multiple wins, especially on a single drawing, can be a nightmare if you don't think it out ahead of time - ways to cash the tickets discretely, not all at same place, same time, same person, etc.  If you have multiple less than taxable wins, they all add up to a big taxable win.  Yes they do.    Think because the next news story here on LP may have your face plastered all over it.

         You gotta find some humor in this though.   I'd love to see their faces if they knew what I know about the 'ability' to know what's going to fall before it does.  Makes me want to move to CO.

EXMECHANIC

"Krupa says he searches for "winning numbers" on the Internet, thenfills out thousands of playing tickets by hand. Store clerks say Krupahas been known to buy thousands of dollars worth of tickets a week."

Wonder if he stops by LP?

RJOh's avatarRJOh

Colorado also has the PowerBall, maybe one day we'll read about Tadeusz Krupa winning it several times.  Now that would really get a lot of people attention,especially with the new odds.

Kidzmom's avatarKidzmom

This just goes to show you that with a lot of patience and some luck that anything can be accomplished! Congratulations to him and his family.

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