Cover-up alleged in Arkansas Lottery

May 2, 2012, 9:16 pm (20 comments)

Arkansas Lottery

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — An irate lottery player claimed in county court that Arkansas Lottery officials tried to keep him quiet about flawed lotto tickets.

In a class action, the man says that the security director of the Arkansas Lottery Commission offered him "a bizarre assortment of Lottery merchandise" and asked him to keep quiet about flawed tickets, so the Lottery would not lose money while it had the tickets reprinted.

Lead plaintiff Rick Tomboli sued the Arkansas Lottery Commission and its top officials, including its security director Lance Huey, in Pulaski County Court.

Tomboli claims that he spent $40 to buy three lottery tickets on April 27 — two $10 tickets and a $20 ticket. He claims that he bought the $20 ticket "at the unusual urging of the retailer."

The $20 ticket was for the lottery's Game No. 130, aka "Arkansas Millionaire's Club," Tomboli says in the complaint.

He says he immediately scratched off the numbers of the $20, which was not a winner, then bought another $20 ticket, which was a $20 winner.

"Plaintiff noticed that both of the $20 tickets had an unusual small pin prick on a covered section of the ticket called 'Bonus $50,'" the complaint states.

Tomboli says he "went back inside the retailer's place of business and confronted the clerk who sold him all of the tickets. He asked to see the next few tickets in the case, and observed that all of them had the same tiny pin prick."

Tomboli claims he "told a coworker not to buy tickets from that particular retailer because the ticket tampering."

The complaint continues: "His coworker was so upset at the tampering that he immediately called the phone number on back of the ticket to report the fraud.

"The next day, the Director of Security Lance Huey and another Lottery security employee came to plaintiff's work place, and in front of plaintiff's coworkers and employers, demanded to speak to plaintiff.

"Huey acknowledged that the $20 tickets were tampered with. Huey showed plaintiff a stack of altered tickets intended for sale to the public. He said the large stack of altered tickets was found in the retailer's inventory of tickets as well as the tickets contained in the case.

"Huey also told the plaintiff that the tickets would be pulled from sale, that there was a problem in the manufacture of the tickets, and that the tickets had been floated incorrectly. Huey assured plaintiff that the offending employees of the retailer would be fired.

"On or about the next day, Huey came by to plaintiff's place of employment and offered to plaintiff a bizarre assortment of Lottery merchandise including, but not limited to eight (8) Lottery tote bags, six (6) Lottery shirts, five (5) pair of Lottery sunglasses and 8-12 Lottery hats. Huey again assured plaintiff that everyone involved in the tampering was fired from the store. He also conveyed to plaintiff that someone from the retailer would contact him to maybe find a way to compensate him.

"On April 25, 2012, [sic] plaintiff went back to the same lottery retailer that sold him the altered tickets. He observed that one of the offending clerks was still selling tickets, and that Game No. 130 was still being offered to the public for sale. He took a photograph of the clerk and the ticket case.

"The next day, Huey frantically called him back. He said that he heard that plaintiff might go to the press with his story. He confided in plaintiff that the Arkansas Lottery didn't want to pull the Game No. 130 off the shelves because the Lottery would lose money while waiting for [Scientific Games] to re-print the tickets. Huey also reminded plaintiff that the Lottery knew that the tickets were not properly floated, but wanted them to remain on the shelves for the time being.

"Huey admonished the plaintiff not to tell anyone about the flawed tickets." (Brackets in complaint.)

The apparent confusion in dates is as in the complaint. It states that Tomboli bought his first flawed tickets on April 27, then returned to the store days later, on April 25.

Scientific Games, the printer, is not a party to the complaint.

But Tomboli claims: "Scientific Games International, Inc. provided a game that has a design defect which allows Lottery retailers and/or their employees to inconspicuously ascertain if the ticket is worth more than $50.00.

"The mechanism by which a winning ticket may be identified is imperceptible to most lottery players.

"This security defect has been exploited by at least 1 retailer, resulting in the sale of known non-winning lottery tickets to Arkansas consumers.

"The Director of the Arkansas Lottery Commission and the Director of Security of the Arkansas Lottery Commission are aware of the design defect but refuse to pull Game No. 130 from the shelves of Arkansas Lottery Retailers.

"The Director of the Arkansas Lottery commission and the Director of Security of the

Arkansas Lottery Commission are aware that Game No. 130 can be and has been tampered with on the retailer level in such a way that the public can be unknowingly deceived in the purchase of the tickets."

Defendants include Lottery Commission Director Bishop Woolsey.

Tomboli seeks class damages for breach of contract, breach of faith and misrepresentation.  He is represented by John W. Walker.

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Comments

rad242

Was he smart enough to record any of these alleged conversations?

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Ok, I need all the scratch-off Guru's to explain "tiny pin prick" are they marking the tickets?

B$Rizzle's avatarB$Rizzle

Quote: Originally posted by dallascowboyfan on May 2, 2012

Ok, I need all the scratch-off Guru's to explain "tiny pin prick" are they marking the tickets?

I'm not completely sure, but what it sounds like to me is, when the "Bonus $50" box has the gold bar looking symbol thing, it is most likely in the same spot on every winning ticket that has that symbol.

So my guess is, the retailer figured that if they could scratch a tiny mark out of the middle of that box, if they see some type of ink that looks consistent with the "Bonus $50" winning symbol, then they know it's a winner.

 

This particular retailer probably knows the difference between a "$50 Bonus Box" winner & a non "Bonus Box" winner by the small "pin prick" scratch that they made on the tickets, revealing part of the ink underneath.

 

The retailer obviously trid to make it a small tick p=mark, thinking no one would notice.

 

I've bought tickets before with a small scratch/tick out of the machines here in FL. Those marks were caused by the tickets falling out of the bin and down to the catch at the bottom.  FL Tickets don't have any tickets currently out in which a person can tell a winner by super small marking/scratch, unless it is big enough to read one of the letters underneath the latex. In that case Id return it to the retailer immediately

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Quote: Originally posted by B$Rizzle on May 2, 2012

I'm not completely sure, but what it sounds like to me is, when the "Bonus $50" box has the gold bar looking symbol thing, it is most likely in the same spot on every winning ticket that has that symbol.

So my guess is, the retailer figured that if they could scratch a tiny mark out of the middle of that box, if they see some type of ink that looks consistent with the "Bonus $50" winning symbol, then they know it's a winner.

 

This particular retailer probably knows the difference between a "$50 Bonus Box" winner & a non "Bonus Box" winner by the small "pin prick" scratch that they made on the tickets, revealing part of the ink underneath.

 

The retailer obviously trid to make it a small tick p=mark, thinking no one would notice.

 

I've bought tickets before with a small scratch/tick out of the machines here in FL. Those marks were caused by the tickets falling out of the bin and down to the catch at the bottom.  FL Tickets don't have any tickets currently out in which a person can tell a winner by super small marking/scratch, unless it is big enough to read one of the letters underneath the latex. In that case Id return it to the retailer immediately

Thanks B$Rizzle........Thumbs Up

faber98

this is "bishop's" fault. the new hack overpaid arkansas lottery directory should be held accountable for this. since he was hired the arkansas lottery has lost total credibility with the wagering public. he has not been heard from or seen since he was hired. time to step up "bishop" and clean up this mess.

bytheshore

those s.o.b.'s

 

[pardon my french]

mcginnin56

Quote: Originally posted by bytheshore on May 3, 2012

those s.o.b.'s

 

[pardon my french]

I'ts OK, lots of people speak french here.  Thumbs Up

HaveABall's avatarHaveABall

Quote: Originally posted by rad242 on May 2, 2012

Was he smart enough to record any of these alleged conversations?

I think that this lottery ticket retailer shouldn't be allowed to sell lottery tickets anymore, even if the owner didn't know that deception was occuring!

I also think that the local newspaper and radio stations should report what happened at this lottery ticket retailer!

Rant

TnTicketlosers's avatarTnTicketlosers

Sounds like our wonderful Lottery.I wish I lived anywhere but here just because of the Lottery,bad to say but true.I hate the Tennessee Lottery all all it represents.

Cletu$2's avatarCletu$2

Quote: Originally posted by TnTicketlosers on May 3, 2012

Sounds like our wonderful Lottery.I wish I lived anywhere but here just because of the Lottery,bad to say but true.I hate the Tennessee Lottery all all it represents.

I know the feeling.I purchase my Powerball & MegaMillions tickets in Iowa,but I don't buy scratch offs here.Since I live within a mile of Illinois and Missouri,I buy my scratch offs in those states.I have a lot better luck in those other states.

dallascowboyfan's avatardallascowboyfan

Quote: Originally posted by TnTicketlosers on May 3, 2012

Sounds like our wonderful Lottery.I wish I lived anywhere but here just because of the Lottery,bad to say but true.I hate the Tennessee Lottery all all it represents.

I know how you feel TnTicketlosers, I feel the same way about Oklahoma.

maximumfun's avatarmaximumfun

I had to reread the article ... I am flabbergasted (love being able to use that word).  How stupid must this retailer be?  At minimum they should be fined and their ability to sell lottery tickets revoked... and no wonder the public doesnt think that the lottery is legit!

dopey7719's avatardopey7719

That's just not cool.

rdgrnr's avatarrdgrnr

Quote: Originally posted by maximumfun on May 4, 2012

I had to reread the article ... I am flabbergasted (love being able to use that word).  How stupid must this retailer be?  At minimum they should be fined and their ability to sell lottery tickets revoked... and no wonder the public doesnt think that the lottery is legit!

"How stupid must this retailer be?"

Probably a flibbertigibbet.

I'm always flabbergasted by flibbertigibbets too.

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