Quick Links   You last visited May 21, 2022, 1:48 pm All times shown are
Eastern Time (GMT-5:00) | - Home
› - Forums
› - Lottery News
› - Undocumented Algerian lottery winner must prove identity to claim €250,000 prize
Undocumented Algerian lottery winner must prove identity to claim €250,000 prize International: Undocumented Algerian lottery winner must prove identity to claim €250,000 prizeRating:Currently anonymous winner wants to avoid publicity, fears being targeted for his undocumented status By Kate Northrop An undocumented Algerian will have to provide identification he does not possess after winning a lottery prize in Belgium, where it is required for winners to prove their identity to claim winnings. More money, more problems, at least for one nameless Algerian who won €250,000 (US$270,000) from a scratch-off ticket in the Belgium National Lottery. A Belgian lawyer says that his client walked into a retailer in Zeebrugge, Belgium to buy a lottery ticket a few weeks ago and walked out a quarter of a million richer. That's where problems began for the 28-year-old undocumented migrant from Algeria. "He paid five euros and won the ticket," Alexander Verstraete, the client's lawyer told NPR. "He won 250,000 euros." The nameless man was in disbelief, so he asked his friend to help verify the win. They both returned to the shop to check one more time, just to confirm that their suspicions that the ticket was worth a small fortune were correct. He just had to provide a way to prove his identity to the Belgium National Lottery to claim his prize. However, having arrived in Belgium two months ago without any papers, a home, and lacking official documentation, that would be a bit tricky. The 28-year-old looked for ways to claim the winnings without divulging his identity, citing fears of being targeted by people for his undocumented status or by those who might pursue him for the money. He sent a friend to Lottery headquarters in Rue Belliard to try and claim the prize on his behalf since he had forms of proper identification, but to no avail. If anything, it backfired — Lottery officials grew suspicious and called the authorities. "The police in Zeebrugge knew who was the real winner because there were camera pictures from the store," Verstraete said in an interview with NPR. However, camera footage is not enough to confirm an individual's win or their identity. Instead, the winner is being told by the case prosecutor to obtain an official ID card, which would mean reaching out to his family in Algeria and contacting the embassy in Belgium. The Algerian will have to open a bank account under his name, and that also means providing a legal home address. This also doesn't change the fact that the ticket expires in a year, which gives him 11 months to either comply with the demands or walk away without the prize. Verstraete believes he and his client will navigate the process successfully. In the meantime, the winning lottery ticket remains in police custody until the migrant can sort out his documentation, and they said they won't deport him until he gets his money. Before winning the lottery, Verstraete said his client had dreams of buying a home and a car and settling down. His stroke of luck at that shop in Zeebrugge makes it seem even more possible. "Maybe you have one chance in a million to win 250,000 euros," Verstraete surmised. "So he has very much luck indeed." Lottery Post Staff
25
New Jersey United States Member #17842 June 28, 2005 155419 Posts Offline | Identity plays an important role in empowering individuals to exercise their rights and claim their Lottery Winnings. A mind once stretched by a new idea never returns to its original dimensions!
Catch-22: A dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.
Corruptissima re publica plurimae leges: When the republic is at its most corrupt the laws are most numerous.
The best way to learn is to never stop being a student! | | |
Flat Earth United States Member #161360 November 27, 2014 731 Posts Offline | Identity plays an important role in empowering individuals to exercise their rights and claim their Lottery Winnings. I kind of disagree. If he can buy a ticket, then he has to prove why he can hold money. If his ticket was bought with a fake euro, than his transaction is null and void. This has the potential to be a <snip> fest scandal of immense proportion. This post has been automatically changed by the Lottery Post computer system to remove inappropriate content and/or spam. | | |
700 light yrs West of Milky Way Galaxy's Center United States Member #200642 September 1, 2019 2456 Posts Offline | If he wasn't asked of Identity when he purchased the lottery ticket, all he should need iz his FACE that matches the FACE in the store video to claim the prize..  Beaurocratz..!! ...MATH... The final Stochastic frontier... These are the Lottery Voyages of Stat$talker..!! The ongoing Mission,..to seek out the Laws of "Probability Math"... to master its rules to invoke...to Conquer ALL Major Jackpots..!! ...To boldly go,... Where NO Player has gone before...!! | | |
Kunming China Member #57908 January 23, 2008 5089 Posts Offline | Undocumented=Illegal. If he didn't follow the rules to get into the country, what makes you think he would want to follow the rules of that country? That being said, if the lottery doesn't state clearly 'if you are undocumented/illegal' you can not play the lottery, I feel he should be able to claim the prizebut he has to prove his identity as required. IMHO. I believe in Occam's razor: The Simplest Answer is Usually Correct. | | |
700 light yrs West of Milky Way Galaxy's Center United States Member #200642 September 1, 2019 2456 Posts Offline | "If he didn't follow the rules to get into the country, what makes you think he would want to follow the rules of that country?" Rulez?...Soundz like the spreading of more ""PUTINOLOGY"..  You're Russian..!! I'm Ukrainian.., NOOO, You're Russian..cauze that'z whut I want you ta be..!!
...MATH... The final Stochastic frontier... These are the Lottery Voyages of Stat$talker..!! The ongoing Mission,..to seek out the Laws of "Probability Math"... to master its rules to invoke...to Conquer ALL Major Jackpots..!! ...To boldly go,... Where NO Player has gone before...!! | | |
Belgium Member #214858 April 17, 2021 2359 Posts Offline | "If he didn't follow the rules to get into the country, what makes you think he would want to follow the rules of that country?" Rulez?...Soundz like the spreading of more ""PUTINOLOGY".. You're Russian..!! I'm Ukrainian.., NOOO, You're Russian..cauze that'z whut I want you ta be..!! What do you mean by Putinology? Besides the guy mentioned above suddenly wants to stay and marry. We don't want that to happen! | | |
Belgium Member #214858 April 17, 2021 2359 Posts Offline | Also, did he win with a Subito? I saw a brownie outside of the lotto-shop scratching a card. News spread fast! | | |
* In hot pursuit of $ *
White Shores- California United States Member #136471 December 12, 2012 6799 Posts Offline | I kind of disagree. If he can buy a ticket, then he has to prove why he can hold money. If his ticket was bought with a fake euro, than his transaction is null and void. This has the potential to be a <snip> fest scandal of immense proportion. This post has been automatically changed by the Lottery Post computer system to remove inappropriate content and/or spam. * Jeet- what do you mean by " if he can buy a ticket,then he has to prove why he can hold money?"
* Isn't that like store clerks asking players " if we sell you the ticket, then you have to prove you can hold money AND not blow through it all?  * Voice of Reason * * People who say it cannot be done should not interrupt those who are doing it- George Bernard Shaw. | | |
700 light yrs West of Milky Way Galaxy's Center United States Member #200642 September 1, 2019 2456 Posts Offline | What do you mean by Putinology? Besides the guy mentioned above suddenly wants to stay and marry. We don't want that to happen! "Besides the guy mentioned above suddenly wants to stay and marry. We don't want that to happen!" Why not?... Maybe YOU don't want THAT to happen.. The whole Earth & Beyond belongs to GOD.. The Man isn't hurting anybody by being from another land.. GIT REEAAL..!! ...MATH... The final Stochastic frontier... These are the Lottery Voyages of Stat$talker..!! The ongoing Mission,..to seek out the Laws of "Probability Math"... to master its rules to invoke...to Conquer ALL Major Jackpots..!! ...To boldly go,... Where NO Player has gone before...!! | | |
United States Member #197030 March 28, 2019 1048 Posts Offline | "In the meantime, the winning lottery ticket remains in police custody until the migrant can sort out his documentation, and they said they won't deport him until he gets his money." That part is odd to me. Why would the police need to keep his lottery ticket? His prize claim problem is separate from his immigration problem. Seems it would be safer with his lawyer. | | |
NY United States Member #23834 October 16, 2005 4558 Posts Offline | "If he wasn't asked of Identity when he purchased the lottery ticket, all he should need iz his FACE that matches the FACE in the store video to claim the prize." I stupidity was energy you could supply the whole world. | | |
700 light yrs West of Milky Way Galaxy's Center United States Member #200642 September 1, 2019 2456 Posts Offline | "In the meantime, the winning lottery ticket remains in police custody until the migrant can sort out his documentation, and they said they won't deport him until he gets his money." That part is odd to me. Why would the police need to keep his lottery ticket? His prize claim problem is separate from his immigration problem. Seems it would be safer with his lawyer.  ...MATH... The final Stochastic frontier... These are the Lottery Voyages of Stat$talker..!! The ongoing Mission,..to seek out the Laws of "Probability Math"... to master its rules to invoke...to Conquer ALL Major Jackpots..!! ...To boldly go,... Where NO Player has gone before...!! | | |
United States Member #190447 June 11, 2018 120 Posts Offline | Belgium will never be the same if all of what you stated above is true. Must be how most all Belgians feel {probability is NO guarantee} only your mounting losses will be Guaranteed The gambler's fallacy is the belief that the probability for an outcome after a series of outcomes is not the same as the probability for a single outcome. The gambler's fallacy is real and true in cases where the events in question are independent and identically distributed. | | |
Gallatin Tennesee United States Member #194096 November 29, 2018 157 Posts Offline | The friend who tried to go in and pick-up the check for him must have been acting incredibly nervous and suspicious. In this country that ticket would be a "bearer instrument" until signed. Which means whomever is in possession of the ticket is considered the rightful owner unless someone else has signed the ticket. This guy should go get his ID, open a bank account and go get his money and stop worrying about being deported. He's only been there a month, take your money with you to another country and start a new life.  
Success is not final, failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts. .......Sir Winston Churchill | | |
|