N.C. lottery store owners, employees winning big and often

Comment #55

JordanT1021 — Wed, 13 May 2009 12:44:45 GMT

North Carolina Scratchers are worthless. If I found a penny laying on the street it would have more value than any nc scratch off....

I agree nc does needs codes like va.... when I drive to va to get my mega million tickets I always buy scratch off's there...

nc needs more games like pick 3 and pick 4....

Comment #54

jump1900 — Tue, 05 May 2009 20:20:24 GMT

The only code I ever seen in N.C. was ONE = $1.00

Buy 5 tickets win one...so i quit.

G-Luck

Comment #53

southernspice — Tue, 05 May 2009 04:03:01 GMT

I was in a store and this person who works in the store look at my ticket before I could scratch it off and was able to tell whether the ticket was a winner by looking at the some letters or numbers. At first I thought they was playing until everyone that they did was correct. I am not the only one that knows this goes on. I think its unfair and I don't buy lottery sratch off tickets anymore because of that.

Comment #52

yogibear — Tue, 05 May 2009 03:50:04 GMT

One thing for sure and a fact. Under President Clinton we did not have a deficit we had plenty of money after 12 years of Republican rule. He brought us into a great wealth and a great economy, we were living like kings and queens. It took a Republican 8 years to bring us down to our knees. If you like Republicans that is your choice, but there are many of us that do like Democrats and the way they Govern. As far as being a dishonest person it does not just come from Democrats it comes from just... [ More ]

Comment #51

peppermintsugar — Mon, 04 May 2009 23:24:14 GMT

Had to get out! hehehe

Comment #50

MaddMike51 — Mon, 04 May 2009 18:18:48 GMT

Comment #49

computerhead723 — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:33:04 GMT

the Obama slamming is unjustifyed , the lottery is robbing people for billions each week and we fight among ourselves over pennies and policy beliefs.....

the store clerks cheat , this has been well established all over the country and yet in NEW yORK

STATE THE the director of lottery made sure NY store clerks were made aware of the sting operations and disallowed any investagations .....NOW THATS CROOCKED ....

the vast majority of the stores in question are forign nationals and in low... [ More ]

Comment #48

BuyLow — Mon, 04 May 2009 17:18:31 GMT

Here's the Dateline expose on Lottery cheating/crimes: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/30550460#30550460

Comment #47

OldSchoolPa — Mon, 04 May 2009 15:05:41 GMT

I was glad to see Dateline NBC doing that little expose on the lottery cheats in California. But I was blown away by how New York responded to Dateline's request to do a similar investigation there. They actually put out an alert that was printed on all online tickets that Dateline is doing an investigation.

I would actually get a bit suspicious about multiple online winners as this could be a case of discounting (meaning the actual winner knows he/she owes back child support or taxes and do... [ More ]

Comment #46

dopey7719 — Mon, 04 May 2009 10:09:38 GMT

I agree. I don't think that many of them are cheating....just that they have an unfair advantage by copying down regular winner's numbers. I absolutely hate it when the pause to look at my numbers before giving them to me. They should NOT be allowed to purchase tickets from the stores in which they work. Period. Just like radio contests and tv contests. I wish South Carolina would start investigating like California. It's pretty bad when the only winners seem to be cashiers. Maybe I should fill... [ More ]

Comment #45

Kidzmom — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:39:07 GMT

I hear ya loud and clear but did you have to shout at me! lol

Comment #44

Kidzmom — Mon, 04 May 2009 09:33:23 GMT

Yes the clerks at Food Lion do that all the time. Writing down the numbers especially if you a regular and win often. I've heard them say that the regular winners are the numbers to play.

I don't think they should be able to buy at the establishment that they work at, I won't say that they are cheating just yet because if you play a lot then you will win, but let them just play at other stores to see if they are actually winning on their own luck.

Comment #43

peppermintsugar — Sun, 03 May 2009 23:14:22 GMT

Looks to me, Im in the wrong career

Comment #42

ThatScaryChick — Sun, 03 May 2009 21:42:36 GMT

I agree. Although, I don't have a problem with clerks playing pick 3/5/6 games because there isn't really a way to cheat like there is with scratch off games. (Though, I'm not counting the ones who lie to customers about not having a winning ticket.

Comment #41

numberchaser — Sun, 03 May 2009 21:11:34 GMT

I myself had a winning jumbo ticket worth $1.000 and the clerk told me that this was not a winning ticket and this lady did not want to give my ticket back to me. I had to show anger to her to get my ticket back, this lady was trying get an opportunity to switch ticket I guest. Don't even let them touch your ticket if you win a cash prize that you have to take to the lottery office.

Comment #40

dopey7719 — Sun, 03 May 2009 20:35:01 GMT

I live in South Carolina...I know of cashiers that keep a tally of the rolls that are winning batches. Also, it's ALWAYS the same darned clerks that win big prizes all the time. I see them repeatedly listed as winners and they brag about it. Some rolls are winning tickets others are not....if they know u well enough and like u, they will tell you. I've known others to lie as well. For instance....she told a relative of mine to not buy from this batch because someone had just won 500 on it which... [ More ]

Comment #39

asmith39 — Sun, 03 May 2009 16:02:50 GMT

They probably scan the tickets in the lotto machine before stocking it in the bin next to other tickets to see if its a winner how much the prize is, then document it on a notepad to remind themself or other employee that when such and such ticket comes up to buy it theirself.

Comment #38

Tenaj — Sun, 03 May 2009 15:20:42 GMT

I just don't understand why it is allowed, littloldlady. That's why companies won't allow employees to play in their sweepstakes. It leads to dishonesty and cheats.

I guess as long as the suckers continue to play and NC rack up the profits it will never change. I guess they can care less who's winning as long as they get their profits.

Comment #37

jackpotismine — Sun, 03 May 2009 15:08:42 GMT

I thinking that maybe, just maybe they found a way to see what's under the painted area. Maybe they are using Infared light, Blue light, x-ray or something that can see through the paint. Just a thought.

Comment #36

Pogo — Sun, 03 May 2009 14:46:08 GMT

Another nail in the coffin that goes agaibacknst NC palyers - There aren't any readable codes on the scratchers, therefore you can't verify whether or not you have a winner... I can't see all that well - and this is certainly a stab-pin-the-back... That's why I prefer scratching in VA at least it will give me a comforting code TWY = $20, TWF = $25, FTY = $50, HUN = $100, etc. etc.

WHERE ARE MY CODES NC???

Sorry for shouting all, Pogo

Comment #35

Littleoldlady — Sun, 03 May 2009 02:36:10 GMT

You are right and they shouldn't be allowed to play scratch offs while on duty and at the store where they work. I worked at a lottery place years ago and that was how the rules went. She had to stop the employees because they were racking up.They played on credit from their paychecks until they got a good hit on the scratchers and then they would pay back what they owed and pocket the rest of the money and wait for the next sucker' to start buying from a new roll of tickets. They knew approxima... [ More ]

Comment #34

konane — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:07:23 GMT

I look forward to online lotto purchases, then if someone doesn't like a particular lottery they have a choice of where to spend their money.

Comment #33

Tenaj — Sat, 02 May 2009 23:01:51 GMT

Comment #32

yogibear — Sat, 02 May 2009 22:32:43 GMT

JordanT1021, the balls were weighted down in PA way back in the late 70's or early 80's. I was living in NJ at the time. So it is possible. They put whilte liquid die in the balls and the number that hit that day was 666. That's how they got busted.

Comment #31

MaddMike51 — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:41:04 GMT

I've seen clerks take scratch-off tickets from the roll without paying for them.When they lose they just take another another another until they win enough money to pay for the tickets that were losers.Eventually they take to many and it catches up to them they either get fired or arrested or both.I don't think that employees should be allowed to play the lottery at the store they work at while on duty.

Comment #30

foragoodcause — Sat, 02 May 2009 19:35:05 GMT

I believe to things,they are either stealing or palying on their lucky day,i read a book about it and it was amazing.In 2006 i won many times in the daily # because 2006 was a lucky year for me

Comment #29

JordanT1021 — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:21:12 GMT

everyone I know still plays 95% of their money of pick 3....

a little powerball...

hardly any scratch off's

Comment #28

JordanT1021 — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:20:18 GMT

nc stated they had record amounts of revenue.... i do agree with jasonnc on this on... if you are having record amounts of revenue, where are the payouts? b/c there are none.....

as far as cheating goes, my opinon will change from day to day....

someone also stated nc is notorious for repeats... that also seems fishy to me.... it is a random game, but shouldn't other number have a random oppurnity to fall also....

the balls could be weighted down.... maybe?

as far as them prerecordin... [ More ]

Comment #27

JAP69 — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:10:43 GMT

Could be players are spending their money on pick 4 rather than pick giving less tickets bought in pick 3. Plus pick 4 is harder to hit.

This is probably why state lotteries bring in the four game after awhile. Bring in the same amount of money with less payout.

Comment #26

JordanT1021 — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:10:32 GMT

I would be total o.k. if nc was cheating.. I could save lots of money......

Then I wouldn't be scammed anymore

Comment #25

Phokas — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:09:20 GMT

But Shelby Ozmun's comment What are they going to do if they catch you? speaks to the enforcement climate in North Carolina.

What sort of innocent person would pose such a question? It sounds like they are clever enough to have found a way to abuse the system but are unsure of the consequences if they were ever caught hence the need to ask this question. Or they know full well that they are doing wrong but are just arrogant about it knowing that enforcement is weak and they are unlikely to e... [ More ]

Comment #24

JAP69 — Sat, 02 May 2009 18:05:44 GMT

Comment #23

peppermintsugar — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:59:02 GMT

I totally agree about the P3, something is smelling bad over there at ncel!!! NC is most repetive state I know of! I wouldn't doubt if theres some corruption going on with those balls. The so call auditors can be bought! Yeah P3 and now P4 is ffishy,ishy!! I also think that cash 5 smells rotten at times too

Comment #22

peppermintsugar — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:53:12 GMT

Store employees are customers too. If I worked in a store I would buy my tickets at that store too! The store employees are not the vendors of the lottery products. They have to purchase products like you or me. I have played scratch offs and put $20.00 on a particular game and another customer has come up behind me and won the bigger prize, so what I suppose to be happy cause that human being didn't work there, heck naw I was still mad about it. The disadvantage is that you maynot have a lot of... [ More ]

Comment #21

unfairtooplay — Sat, 02 May 2009 17:04:43 GMT

These store employees have an advantage over customers when playing the scrathoffs games. They should not be allowed to play the scratchoff at the store in which they work. Too many time I have seen customers buy $10, $20, $50 worth of the same scrathoff, scratch them off in the store and they win little to nothing to what they paid out. Now these clerks noticed this, especially big ticket scratchoffs, so what do they they do - they play it with luck on their side, and BINGO they hit. Their chan... [ More ]

Comment #20

jasonNC — Sat, 02 May 2009 15:08:43 GMT

Well I have to agree that things seems fishy, but why would Tom Sheehan do anything about it, they're the biggest crooks look at how low their payouts have started being for pick 3 all of a sudden. NCEL can't blame the reason on the economy because they had an increase in sales the past quarter. So to complain about people winning at scratch off's are nothing compared to a lottery system that hold certain numbers from falling for years, by altering the drawings, claiming there's technical diffic... [ More ]

Comment #19

ronki — Sat, 02 May 2009 10:53:06 GMT

North Carolina is to dumb to do anything it's a rip off you can't win that many times

Comment #18

Tenaj — Sat, 02 May 2009 10:24:38 GMT

I hope the sting operations are forthcoming. I won't hold my breath because it will probably not happen. Tom Sheehan don't want to spend the money to do it. Of course he would say anything can happen.

It cost money for these stings. Dishonest clerks are the main reason I don't buy scratch off tickets, always sign all my winners and never depend on anyone to check for me what hit.

At least this is a start, sometimes things have to be brought forth over and over before something will be don... [ More ]

Comment #17

mhgent — Sat, 02 May 2009 08:58:52 GMT

I do play the lottery, but I am fundamentally opposed to the states running them in the first place. Before the 1970's lotteries were illegal in every state in the US, except perhaps Nevada. A primary reson for laws against lotteries was that bookmakers who ran them were profiting too much buy taking unfair advantage of people. It was marally wrong!!! When these villains ran the daily lottery a $1 for 3 nmbers paid $700 and 4 numbers paid $7000. the odds of winning are 1000-1 and 10,000-1 respec... [ More ]

Comment #16

peppermintsugar — Sat, 02 May 2009 07:30:18 GMT

I don't know what all the fuss is about, the store owners and employees have every right to purchase lottery tickets of all kind. I understand they have a greater advantage because they work there or whatever, but they still have to purchase the ticket. Now if I knew a particular store owner was always hitting at their store I would avoid buying s-offs at that store, cause most likely the empolyees or owners would have bought enough to secure a winner, which would leave me with losers. They also... [ More ]

Comment #15

four4me — Sat, 02 May 2009 05:09:42 GMT

Some store owners may have picked up on where the winning lottery tickets are in a pack. Be it the front middle or end of the packs. So in theory if thats correct then they could buy the first ten, the middle ten, and the last ten tickets in a book.

Comment #14

dx123 — Sat, 02 May 2009 04:28:06 GMT

This is not hard to believe that some store owners who sell lottery scratch-offs win often. In Ontario Canada in the '70's these were the only 'type' of tickets sold-no lottery organization like we have today and store owners would take their batch of scratch-offs home and examine them under intense light and were able to identify the winners from the losers. They won everytime they scratched the ticket for the covering scratch-off material was not thick enough to hide the numbers below. That ha... [ More ]

Comment #13

Raven62 — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:35:38 GMT

Comment #12

lottobrain — Sat, 02 May 2009 02:22:22 GMT

I think Trulyblessed is on to the main technique that these winning stores use. They watch the sale of tickets on the particular games that have the big jackpots and buy tickets after they see customers not win for several tickets. I have also observed this myself in a Maryland store. The state lotteries usually send a lot of big winning instant tickets to the stores that are producing the most profit for the state to keep the customers coming, so the owners know that their odds are better than

Comment #11

diamondpalace — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:35:34 GMT

Each state's lottery commissions should step in and do investigations on suspicious stores. This to protect their good names and keep player's confident. Or perhaps open up the official online lotto purchase (to save the middle man, retailers) system for players. Providing accuracy and convenience.

Comment #10

Kaptainess — Sat, 02 May 2009 01:11:37 GMT

I have posted many times about this guy at the store in which I play my lottery, he can call the winner all the time, even prints out a ticket without me asking and hands it to me. Once he gave me one of those instant tickets that was for promotional and it was a winner. Mind you, I always play the 3 digits, sometimes I 'get' a four digit in my workout that I can't ignore.

But I think working with numbers as I did as a cashier at Giant Food Market did a world of good for me with numbers, the... [ More ]

Comment #9

trulyblessed — Sat, 02 May 2009 00:42:28 GMT

I'm glad that someone shed light on this. I don't think store workers should be able to buy lottery tickets from the store they work in. I've seen many times where customers go in a store, buy 10 tickets from a roll and win nothing. Then the clerks/owners will buy the next 10 or so and win. One store I stood and watched this while waiting for someone. It pissed me off. I've even seen one lady writing down pick 3 numbers that customers are playing.

I really don't think that ncel will do anythi... [ More ]

Comment #8

RJOh — Sat, 02 May 2009 00:16:25 GMT

Aren't the rules of the game posted on the back of the play slips and at the lottery website? Or did you just read the pick3 game rules and thought they applied to the pick4 game too

Comment #7

PLAYERWILMNC — Fri, 01 May 2009 22:05:52 GMT

I recently bought some pick four the first day they started the game, bought a few and one ticket had all three of the numbers picked but the last number was a 0 not a four thought I would have won a few dollars not the jackpot but vender scanned the ticket said it was not a winner so I e-mailed lottery officials and the numbers have to be all the same of night it was picked made my mind up not to play this game again.

I am sticking with power ball.

But its probably all rigged as to who wi... [ More ]

Comment #6

Littleoldlady — Fri, 01 May 2009 21:14:34 GMT

Smells like rotten fish to me. some jackpots like P3 or P4 for instance..granted but scratch offs? I don't think so. Someone needs to investigate them. If stores are winning that much, the players can't be winning anything. How in the world can a store repeatedly cash in a winning scratch off? They would have to have someone who scratched for them everyday..all day! How do they know where the big winners are? Are they concentrated in one spot or one area

Comment #5

RJOh — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:45:38 GMT

Where I buy my tickets, being around the lottery day in and day out give the store owner and her employees more chances to say to their customers good luck and remember me if you win the jackpot .

Comment #4

Raven62 — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:35:22 GMT

Being around the Lottery Day In and Day Out makes many a Lottery Retailer an avid Lottery Player:

Truth Be Known: The more you Play, The more you Win

Comment #3

RJOh — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:27:25 GMT

The owner of the store, Becky Ozmun, won a dozen jackpots in about 13 months - including a $10,000 payout and a $150,000 prize.

One employee of a store selling tickets in eastern North Carolina won 10 times in a little over a year - including a $100,000 jackpot.

Sounds like these store owners and their employees have a pretty good system - winning a lottery jackpot almost every month while their customers are lucky if they win a jackpot once in a life time.

Comment #2

charmed7 — Fri, 01 May 2009 19:18:08 GMT

Sound like some of their cousins from California! who were stealing

folks winner tickets.

Comment #1

Todd — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:51:14 GMT

N.C. needs to get on the stick and start conducting these investigations/sting operations that other states have been doing.

The whiff of fraud is unacceptable.

N.C. lottery store owners, employees winning big and often

Lottery Post — Fri, 01 May 2009 18:50:04 GMT

Some of the same people who sell North Carolina Education Lottery tickets are winning big and winning often and that makes some people suspicious.

Of the lottery retailers winning prizes, some are amassing significant jackpots repeatedly $100,000, $300,000, and $500,000 prizes dozens of times a year.

Is it just dumb luck? Or do these insiders have some kind of inside track? And what is the state doing about it?

A regular lottery player first brought the pattern of retailers winning the