Lottery ticket has all the numbers, but 7 seconds late

Comment #23

BobP — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 21:49:02 GMT

If this case makes it to a jury, they're going to consider intent. Was this guy trying to cheat the lottery getting a ticket in just after the draw, or was he simply trying to buy his tickets an hour before the draw and the system delay did him in.

If I ever came that close, I can't see not taking the shot to collect.

Of course the real winner will likely also have to file suit to collect the full amount of the prize if the court awards this guy half.

I've been on both sides of... [ More ]

Comment #22

KY Floyd — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:52:52 GMT

Current: Sales end 8:59:59, next sales begin at 9:00:00.

With Break: Sales end at 8:59:59, next sales begin at 9:05:00.

That may be a possibility, but it's just as likely that sales would stop 5 minutes sooner. Any way they do it some players will complain. Cry me a river, but it's the players' fault if they can't buy their tickets at a time that let's them get what they want.

Comment #21

Wintariofan — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 05:56:30 GMT

Here in Ontario there is a 10 minute draw shut down from 9 PM to 9:10 PM, I am surprised that Loto-Quebec does not have this since Super 7 is a national game. The rules set out by ILC should be the same in each lottery jurisdiction. Interesting.

Comment #20

Stack47 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:21:39 GMT

I did a similar thing last year playing MM when the jackpot was high. The cut-off time was 10:45 PM and handed the clerk at a drive-thru ten play slips with 46 combinations around 10:40. When I looked at the tickets, 6 of them were for that nights drawing and the other 4 were for the next drawing. I had played all 46 bonus numbers and got lucky when the number drawn that night was among the 30 combos I had for that nights drawing and none of the other 16 combos would have won.

Whether it's as... [ More ]

Comment #19

Stew12 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 14:05:46 GMT

Not having a break as they move from one game to the next gives the last minute players a chance that they wouldn't have had otherwise.

A break in the system would not give the last minute players any extra chance, it would force the early players for the next game to wait 5 minutes.

Current: Sales end 8:59:59, next sales begin at 9:00:00.

With Break: Sales end at 8:59:59, next sales begin at 9:05:00.

This would cause any ticket entered at 9:00:00-9:04:59 to throw an error and alert... [ More ]

Comment #18

bashley572 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 11:32:45 GMT

I agree with 100% Mysteryman424! If we here @ LP can figure out a simple way to make the system work to avoid these types of issues then the Lottery should be forced to pay him for THERE failure to have a proper cut-off set up. Should be interesting to see what the court says.

Comment #17

KY Floyd — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 06:13:33 GMT

We're not on the side of the lottery, we're on the side of common sense and responsibility. The machine gave him his ticket exactly on time. The problem is that he got to the game too late. That's not the lottery's problem. If there was a 5 minute gap, he wouldn't have gotten either ticket. Not having a break as they move from one game to the next gives the last minute players a chance that they wouldn't have had otherwise.

The consumer is not responsible for the delays relating to theprinti... [ More ]

Comment #16

JackpotWanna — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:45:27 GMT

Wow! What a tear jerker! Very sad for the poor guy

Comment #15

neverwins — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 02:26:02 GMT

well it has to SUCK to be that guy... I would be so annoyed.

But at the same time I agree with what you guys are saying. Firstly if it WAS a QP, then there's no way he could prove that he actually would've got those same numbers if the ticket did print 7 seconds earlier. Secondly it is his own fault for getting the ticket at the last minute. That's why they have cut-off times, so you know when to get it before!

I do feel for him though, the worst part would be thinking you'd won, then rea... [ More ]

Comment #14

MysteryMan424 — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 01:05:53 GMT

I find it interesting that a few posters on this lottery site would side with the lottery on this issue. Basicially we are all trying to be in that guys shoes. If the cut-off time for that night's drawing was 9 pm there should have been at the least a 5 minute gap before tickets for the next drawing could be printed. This way there's no confusion, the clerk says tonight's drawing is closed you can purchase tickets for the next drawing in a couple of minutes. Jeez you know how many jackpots go un... [ More ]

Comment #13

RJOh — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:55:44 GMT

Most players if they had an argumentable chance of winning the jackpot would probably try to take advantage of it.

In Ohio, terminals are suppose to shut down or change over to the next drawing 15 minutes before the drawing. I've played the MegaMillions game as late as 10:50 pm but I accept the risk that the terminal might print my tickets for the next drawing. I don't understand why Loto-Qu bec doesn't have a similar disclaimer.

Comment #12

Stew12 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 14:16:31 GMT

I usually get aggrivated when people try to take advantage of the system, but I can't say I'd be doing anything different if I were in this guy's shoes. There have been plenty of times I went in to buy tickets late, simply because I work in another state and can't get home in time some evenings. If he was intending in purchasing tickets for that evening's drawing, and it was machine lag that caused the ticket to be late, I hope he gets it. Everyone else would do the same thing if they were in hi... [ More ]

Comment #11

amininflorida — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 11:16:04 GMT

Wow every player's NIGHTMARE! , but this is why I agree that EVERYONE should be taking care of their ticket buys (especially a big prize draw like this) - and I know he already had tics but bought on impulse - these things should not be done last second. Like, when I tell my family I am gonna go buy tickets and they say you have two hours, what's the rush? I tell them better safe than sorry (especially because I usually selct my numbers right from the quick pick generator on this site it's a gam... [ More ]

Comment #10

JAP69 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:41:13 GMT

I punched twice, before 9 p.m., Mr. Iranpur recalled yesterday in an interview. The first ticket came out. I said, 'It's still 8:59, it's still 8:59!'

The second ticket, however, didn't come out until seven seconds after 9 p.m., making it eligible for the next draw.

It appears to me the terminal machine should be programmed for the ticket time to be when the data or playslip is entered. Not when the ticket is printed.

Enter data at 8:59 and 55 seconds the machine should print ticket ti... [ More ]

Comment #9

Drivedabizness — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:26:43 GMT

You folks clearly DO NOT get it.

RNG's are not, are usually ARE NOt, the issue.

Central systems have no link to the numbers assigned at the point of purchase. The terminal simply makes sure that the numbers on Play A don't duplicate all the numbers on Play B - that's it!

Guess what kids - the system worked the way it was supposed to. Do you want a square chance to win all of your prize? Or do you want someone to be able to say - I think I should have 1/2 of that jackpot... [ More ]

Comment #8

diamondpalace — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 05:16:44 GMT

Crazy guy. Reminds me of my friend who buys it few mins before its over...there's no thrill in that, only high stress, and anxiety.

Just hope there isn't people like him on the streets driving...waiting last min and cuts through people, drifting corners, speeding through risking his and other's lives so he can be fashionablely late. Haha

Comment #7

ThatScaryChick — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 04:31:46 GMT

It's sad that the guy lost out on the jackpot, but he shouldn't have waited till the last minute to get his tickets.

Comment #6

bogeytrain — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 02:00:07 GMT

Here in my state (a Powerball state), our lottery terminals won't sell/print tickets from 8:30pm to 8:40pm on the night of a draw. Not sure if this is common for other Powerball states or Megamillions...but it seems like a good way to avoid this type of thing happening.

I really feel for the guy...I can't imagine him getting anything out of this except a lifetime of regret at what could have been. That being said...waiting until the last minute is just asking for trouble.

Regardless of the... [ More ]

Comment #5

MaddMike51 — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 01:23:53 GMT

Don't wait until the last possible minute to buy your lottery tickets.

Theres an old saying that goes like this:If you snooze,you lose.

He lost.His own fault.

Comment #4

noahproblem — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 00:56:16 GMT

Does this lottery's quick pick generator (I'm guessing the two tickets purchased were QP's, based on what I'm reading here) allow or disallow picking an already chosen combo? If the latter there's no way he could have had those numbers if the bet came in on time, since the story said there was already a winning combo.

Comment #3

pacattack05 — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:11:58 GMT

I once read a sign in a deli, right at the counter were people order. It read... I'm paraphrasing.... Your inability to make a decision does not constitute an emergency on my part .

This guy is an idiot. He's not gonna win the case.

The deadline is whatever time the machine spits the ticket out. Period. The court will find in favor of the officials at the lottery because of some law that'll probably state a reasonable time lag for a computer of that nature making that many calculations in... [ More ]

Comment #2

petergrfn — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:09:56 GMT

Wow. If I were that guy I would be a little PO'ed as well. Losing a winning ticket or having it invalidated would be rough. I try and buy my tickets early to avoid lines and problems. For some reason if I try and buy tickets close to the cut off the machines are slower, customers in front of me are very slow, or someone is trying to pay for a case of beer with a pocket full of change!! This is why I don't like buying at Convience Stores but I like buying at small stores that are owned by a singl... [ More ]

Comment #1

Drivedabizness — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:08:31 GMT

This (surprise, surprise) looks like naked greed to me.

First - most lotteries prevent this very thing (and also attempts at past posting) by using draw breaks. I'm amazed that Lotto Quebec (at least according to the article) doesn't have them.

8-10 seconds is a long, long transaction time. Most lotteries require systems to print the ticket in under 4 seconds from Send to Cut . A system that can't support the meager volume Lotto Quebec was generating is certainly not Canada Class... [ More ]

Lottery ticket has all the numbers, but 7 seconds late

Lottery Post — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 22:54:49 GMT

Joel Ifergan came within seven seconds of becoming a multi-millionaire, and he's ready to go to court to claim his windfall.

Mr. Ifergan bought a lottery ticket one night at 8:59 p.m., but Loto-Qu bec's computers processed and printed it only after the draw's deadline at 9 p.m.

It turned out to be a winning ticket but it popped out of the machine too late. Now, Mr. Ifergan is suing Quebec's behemoth lottery corporation for $13.5 million, saying that the machine's time lag cost him his shar... [ More ]