Joe Joost and several other city truck drivers thought they won $1 million in September.
However, they have yet to see a dime because the state comptroller has said they can't make payouts over $25,000 because the state hasn't approved a budget. In October, that payout limit was further reduced to just $600.
One state lawmaker says the Illinois Lottery is committing fraud, but Joost simply can't understand why people continue to play.
"They announce they're not paying but yet they're still selling tickets. C'mon! What are we, goofs?!" Joost says.
Lottery ticket sales have increased over the last year, according to sales records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
In September — the first full month after the lottery announced it couldn't pay big prizes — people spent more than $235 million dollars on tickets.
While that's down slightly from the previous month, it's $15 million more in sales than the same month last year.
Now one state representative has filed a bill to temporarily shut down the lottery.
"If you can't pay people, you shouldn't be selling tickets," said State rep. La Shawn Ford, D-Chicago.
While winners wait to be paid, the lottery is cashing in. A Lottery spokesperson said that jackpot money now sitting in lottery accounts is earning interest, but that extra money won't be shared with winners.
No comment on why the lottery isn't sharing the interest earned on that money and the interest issue is the subject of several pending lawsuits.
Several billboards along the Illinois-Indiana border seek to lure players to Indiana. A new Hoosier Lottery campaign reminds people: "It pays to play in Indiana."
As for lottery winner Joe Joost, he is still playing the lottery. However, he adds: "In Indiana and Michigan. At least they still get paid."
They not paying but you still playing? ...Craazeeeeee!
DUMB, DUMB, DUMB and dumber!!!!!!!!!!.
Sounds like some folks in Illinois like the idea of winning even if it means an I.O.U. in the future.
These are the player who, cannot or will not, travel out of state but want that chance of winning.
Maybe they think this is an opportunity to plan ahead before they can actually collect?
Illinois sure is getting a bad rap and they deserve every bit.
I wish my State would try to award me with an I.O.U. after winning one of the BIG 2 lotteries, it would be WAR WAR III!
LO L
And the people in IL that continues to play these lotto games must be sick in the head or very slow.
Don't care how fast or slow it takes for them to approve the budget. No one in their right minds play a game to win I.O.U'.s, except idiots.
A piece of paper saying they promise to pay will not make me happy and content -- Only GUARANTEED money in the bank will make my day ''rosy'' and shine bright!
I.O.U. in the future? That's what it sounds like to me! Just a matter of time of waiting it out.
I still wouldn't play until things were fully straightened out.
Wouldn't be surprised if all those I.O.U. turned up worthless because IL decides to go Bankrupt like the city of Detroit and keep all those lucky winnings. Wonder if theres any laws against that.
That's why I would always choose the lump sum, don't need anyone else holding my money for me and make me wait on it when I need it.
A degenerate gambler is defined as someone who has to be 'in action', that is they have to have a bet riding on something, be it a lottery drawing, football score, where a roulette ball lands, etc.....
Combine that with uninformed players and there you go.
I hope of the courts dont demand payments NOW, they at least oprder the money moved into escrow, to be put aside for winners, before the state spends it all or goes bankrupt
Feed the flock and pass the Pot (or) is it pass the Pot.......for the Illinois Lawmaker'$$$......Hello, what's the problem
???
Pay them off and get the state comptroller off his ass-sets and get the lottery "rolling again".......it's about time don't U think?
And Ohio is voting on legalizing Pot today.
Incredible. I guess the thrill of the win is too much to resist prize or no prize. Is it possible
players think their dollars spent will somehow form a payout pool on the side or that their
winning ticket will slide under the radar when presented for payment? Or maybe some think
a resolution is today, tomorrow or the day after. I'd say expect the worst. This has gone on too
long already and part of what the holdup might be is how to factor in all the winners that were
denied their rightful, timely payments.
As tempting as it might be to be optimistic, right now good sense has to take priority. These
players need to stop playing. I play because I know I'll be paid and if I was going to get an IOU..
stick that, I'd be playing something else until they had the ability and brains to pay me.
People are playing for the little prizes that can be paid....let enough of them hit over the limit
ones and they'll be in a position to finally get it....maybe.
......
Happy, happy...Joy, joy.
That's where RJ is from....right? If it passes some farmers will switch out corn for weed. It's a win-win situation for Ohio.
People r still playing.Unbelievable. Stand for something,ru fall for anything.
the people that are playing cannot get to another state to play. winning an iou is better than losing. the state of illinois is not going to go bankrupt like some people fear. maybe the "city" of detroit did but a state the size of illinois is not going to go bankrupt. they will get paid if they are fortunate enough to win. not playing isn't an option for most of those still playing. you can always sell the ticket to someone for a small fee to someone who is willing to wait if you need it cashed. think outside the box here. 1. you want to play the lottery. 2. you cannot travel to another state. 3. you probably aren't going to hit a 600.00+ticket anyway. 4. if you do, no reason to get upset about not being to cash it, since you can easily find someone to buy it. 5. it would be a tax ticket anyway so selling it would be the right move for most. 6. so continue playing because most players are so old they only have so many chances left to play anyway, so abstaining from playing is ridiculous.
Interesting point about selling the winner to someone else. While risky, one could make bank buying winning tickets from desperate players needing cash now at 50% or less of prize value, wait it out, and cash them in and profit.
Many IL players likely still don't know about the IOU issue and/or feel they likely won't win $600+. However, many who have already won that much likely felt the same way prior to winning. In other states, winners are paid promptly. In IL, who knows when winners will be paid ... could be months or longer. And even after the budget is signed, it's possible larger payments could further delayed.
A more scary prospect is some players, reading about the IOUs, will wait on filing a claim. From my understanding, despite payments being delayed, players must still file a claim by the deadline. Fortunately, IL has a reasonably long claim period of 1 year, so it's likely to be a non-issue unless the budget delay drags out beyond June of next year.
Wonder is IL will cut off ALL winners, drop from $600 to ZERO !
If people are dumb enough to buy with the $600 limit, why wouldnt the lottery drop it to ZERO? People would still play and sales would probably go UP - LOL!
GOOD point! Once this is resolved (or should I say IF?) bet we see alot of people who HELD their ticket TOO long to cash them in.
How stupid can people be to keep playing ?? No one should even bother even for the small amount. I wouldn't trust them ever again. The head honcho s apparently don't know what they are doing or taking the money for themselves.
As the saying goes "Stupid is as stupid does."
On a side note, hit a deer on the highway in that awful state last week and totaled a company car. I'm OK tho. After that a friend sends me a link stating that Illinois scores an "F" when it comes to wildlife resource management and that there is an extreme deer overpopulation problem.
People like to talk down on Mississippi and West Virginia being the worst states overall, but Illinois is by far the worst state in the U.S. It's so bad that Greece, Cuba, and North Korea could be considered "success stories" compared to Illinois.
The money goes in but it don't come out.
How long till they pass the budget?
I take it when it starts snowing they can't plow the roads cause' the drivers won;t get paid.
Everything comes to a standstill.
Wheels of government come to a grinding halt. Politicians who needs them!!
because the state doesnt pay the <$600 payouts, the retailer does. and the rules states claims under 600 can be claimed at a retailer. Im sure if you went to ,llotto HQ they would hand out an IOU
I find it difficult to believe sales aren't down. Used to be that there's always be someone buying tickets when I go to the gas station. These days, no one.
I'd like them to stop paying winners under the $600 mark at retailers and see what happens.
Ok folks, degenerate gambling idiots for still playing? Ouch...
So if somebody in IL bought a $1 MM ticket tonight and won the JP, would you still call that person a degenerate gambling idiot?
Perhaps they could redeem themselves with the vast majority of virtuous non gambling LP members by taking that winning JP ticket and promptly shredding it.
A CRYING SHAME!
Hadn't thought about it but why wouldn't the lottery be required to pay interest on winning tickets after whatever their policy states winning tickets' claims should be paid? Also, I guess they will have something put in place for tickets being paid after the expiration date of the winning ticket. Ummm?????
Well, do people use less fuel when gas prices are high, or do they just talk (complain) like they do?
The addiction is apparently strong enough that players don't care to not get paid, they just like to play and dream.
Here's one possibility, any win from $1 to $600 will have a 'processing fee' of the prize amount + $10...... And PEOPL WOULD STILL PLAY! Lotto Metro is right about the addiction factor.
jj,
Glad you came out OK after hitting the deer.
Romancandle,
To a real degenerate being in action is far more important than winning or losing. Win or lose they have to be back in action.
Had someone in IL won the jp tonight though it would have made for a very interesting situation. Most people outside the state are probably unaware of the IOU story but if it went out nationwide with a headline ILLINOIS PLAYER WINS MM JACKPOT, DOESN"T GET PAID BUT GETS AN IOU there'd be an uproar among players nationwide.
how about NY winner of MM jackpot gets 140M and an IOU from IL
Just when you think you've heard it all, playing for money they won't get.
I'm glad we don't have this problem. NY only hands out "UOUS".
Thanks for the chuckle, RedStang.
"one state representative has filed a bill to temporarily shut down the lottery."
Good idea. That makes so much more sense than a bill to allow the lottery to make payments even if a budget isn't in place.
That's how strong the Lottery is that even though they're not paying up people don't want to give up there dreams. I would personally playing if my state lottery refused to pay up.