Due to Budget Cuts-California Lottery District Office closed on FridaysPrevious TopicNext Topic

Due to the stupid clowns running our sunny state of California and not passing the budget on time; the California Lottery and all nine districts will be closed every Friday, starting 7/10/09;  so if you win big on Thursday night you cannot redeem any large winning ticket until Mondays. They claimed it will not effective the daily drawings so far but this is terrible and I am not happy about it period.  They will still take in the lottery revenue on those closed days  but meanwhile we will have wait 36 hours for the money if you win..where is the logic in that

Now that's just stupid.  These revenue earning agencies that make a profit should not be chocked back due to state finances.   The lottery should have a budget based on a percentage of sales and be allowed to spend it as long as they work within it.  Your government in action, what a joke.  BobP

If that's upsetting, you'll really flip if they announce the reduction or elimination of lower tier prizes due to a budget cut or start taxing lottery wins at a higher rate than regular income as they did in New Jersey.

If I lived in California, and won something big. I think I can wait a few more days. The economy is "bad" now.

To "win something big" is the first step. Worrying about cashing it in is the second step.

Getting that big check and going to the bank would be the third.

The rest is all relaxation!

I'm surprised that Gov. Ahnold hasn't decided to tax lottery winnings to help pay off Californias debt.

Dollar419  unless the laws have changed since I lived there....when I redeemed my lottery ticket at one of the offices they didn't hand me the money. The ticket was verified as a winner and put into the system with my personal info. A check was mailed to me about 3 weeks later.

He might after he reads your post!

Might not be a bad idea.  It's not like Californians have a choice,
unless they live on the border with AZ or OR, which very few do.
By the way, I wonder how much NJ's lottery revenue will decrease
now that they've gone from tax-free to highest taxes.  You know,
from New Yorkers who might've bought their tickets in NJ intentionally
in order to avoid NY's high state tax rates.

Honestly this really isn't a bad thing.  Unless you have a "Just Won the Lottery" kit this really shouldn't be a disappointment...and even if you did you shouldn't get evenly slightly disgruntled...you just WON the lottery! Who cares if they aren't open that day after so you can cash it.  It'll take you at least that long to figure out what you really wan to do with the money....unless you are just dead set on completely blowing it.

Have to wait 6 weeks in PA for anything BIG, BIG.

A couple days doesn't make a difference.

Unless it makes you feel better to know it's *in the process* even though it hasn't reached headquarters

yet.

On another note:

PA is up to something.

First time for me seeing an announcement that all funds will still be paid out of SO & SO...(whatever

the department is)

I mean...who asked?

No, they haven't changed; I just said that if you won big on Thursday night; you cannot redeem/cash or whatever the winning ticket until Monday. It still wouldn't matter anyway--the problem is you will still have to wait period!!

I get where you're coming from...

Win on Thursday...wait until Monday for any official processing.

I guess some people might feel better getting it done the next day but there's some too who have

waited nearly a year (a couple in the lottery stories lately) before coming forward.

I wouldn't wait that long.

When you win big, it's hard to say how long that luck bubble is going to last.  How long can you sit on something that big, anyone have a family that can keep their mouths shut, anyone have neighbors that would ransack your house looking for the winning ticket if they got wind of it?  Feeling lucky enough not to be at the lottery office bright and early the next morning? 

When I moved I hid a good watch so well it took me three years to find it.

BobP

watch out for californiou state lotto, i hear they will be paying the jackpot winner with iou's to. then every year 1 lucky jackpot winner goes into a  raffle to see who will get paid REAL cash for their iou's

LOL good luck out there in IO USofA

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all the above is just bunk, but man I dont envy you guys atm