$75,000 California Lottery winner leaves with only $75

Comment #65

Stack47 — Mon, 11 May 2015 02:29:43 GMT

It looks like you either missed the part where it was a SCRATCH-OFF TICKET or don't understand what a SCRATCH-OFF TICKET is.

Comment #64

Stack47 — Mon, 11 May 2015 02:25:16 GMT

and while the average lottery player might not understand there is a different process for cashing tickets valued over $600 and another process for tickets valued over $5000, it was discussed many times on LP. Had the clerk scanned a valid $75,000, the terminal screen should say the ticket must be validated at a regional office or lottery headquarters. The screen should give instruction for filling out a claims form too.

Apparently the value of the ticket was all that was shown on the screen

Comment #63

MrProgrammer — Fri, 08 May 2015 20:50:03 GMT

You don't.

Comment #62

savagegoose — Thu, 07 May 2015 01:22:46 GMT

i get it, who hands an unknown prize value over, and why are they always broken checkers out there.

Comment #61

Suzy-Dittlenose — Wed, 06 May 2015 21:07:12 GMT

Yep, I'm in agreement.

Comment #60

mypiemaster — Wed, 06 May 2015 17:59:12 GMT

It makes me wonder, how many people have been ripped off, at this store.

Comment #59

dallascowboyfan — Wed, 06 May 2015 17:57:50 GMT

This is a good idea hopefully OLC participates in an under cover investigation.

Comment #58

loosechange1 — Wed, 06 May 2015 17:18:54 GMT

I think you missed my point.

Comment #57

KY Floyd — Wed, 06 May 2015 15:31:32 GMT

If there was a Nobel prize for cluelessness you'd be the front runner.

Comment #56

savagegoose — Wed, 06 May 2015 12:25:12 GMT

yeah i guess that explains it. broken ticket checkers.

Comment #55

loosechange1 — Wed, 06 May 2015 10:27:31 GMT

Here's what I want to know- How come in real life over 90% of the inter city stores (mostly Arab) the ticket checker doest work!!!!!!!!!!!!! and every other store they do? Thief's! I never give my ticket until it's checked.I know this guy was from the Lotto office yet I bet you the ticket checker was broke in this fine estblisment.

Comment #54

HaveABall — Wed, 06 May 2015 01:43:39 GMT

, LottoMetro! LOL.

Further, I think that this lottery retailer gang came up with a rather elaborate damage control saga! However, I don't think all of this gang's creative 'thinking efforts' will keep the California Lottery Headquarters from shutting them down. This lottery retailer probably had received a few, prior, complaints from customers; which lead to the actual security official showing up to test the gang.

Comment #53

music* — Wed, 06 May 2015 01:12:15 GMT

The State of California Employees have a wonderful retirement package. They will not risk losing it . I trust them.

Comment #52

pickone4me — Wed, 06 May 2015 00:36:54 GMT

Ok, so if the lottery can program a terminal to recognize a ticket as a winner, it makes me wonder what else they could do.

Comment #51

temptustoo — Tue, 05 May 2015 23:31:03 GMT

finally some one with a brain on here.

Comment #50

temptustoo — Tue, 05 May 2015 23:26:53 GMT

I think the cali lottery has some problems releasing a statement that they are looking for a winner and then saying it was an investigator........ this is so wrong !!! one hand don't seem to have a clue what the other is doing. something stinks here.

Comment #49

LottoMetro — Tue, 05 May 2015 22:40:51 GMT

I think a solution exists to this problem.....glasses

Comment #48

LottoMetro — Tue, 05 May 2015 22:38:08 GMT

The ticket was fake and never part of the game. The lottery can program a terminal to recognize a ticket as a winner.

(Not that my saying this would quell any conspiracy theories...to the contrary

Comment #47

myturn — Tue, 05 May 2015 22:12:56 GMT

The California lottery should start a subscription service. It would be very convenient and safer for players. It would also generate more revenue for the state.

Comment #46

music* — Tue, 05 May 2015 18:09:32 GMT

This particular store is now on the radar as you said noise-gate. And others like it are shaking in their boots because any store can be tested at any time.

We also know about retailers who cash in tickets that they have discounted. The profit motive is strong.

Comment #45

noise-gate — Tue, 05 May 2015 17:27:23 GMT

How could I have missed this gem...

Then tell us how the lottery inspector got a 75,000 ticket to investigate the place Can anyone help me out here with the answer anyone?

I am going to take an educated guess and say: Since we know that he works for the lottery, l think they * Calottery... gave him the ticket. Where do you think he got the ticket Pick? Enlighten us ..

***l knew there was a reason l liked you.

Comment #44

atoz — Tue, 05 May 2015 17:25:22 GMT

hey noise and buckeye....i cant believe these posters still cant understand..... i dont think it can be explained any better.

Comment #43

noise-gate — Tue, 05 May 2015 16:11:09 GMT

In case you have not noticed-l live in California.The lottery outfit out here, not in other States does this all the time when a store has been on their radar.We are the most populous State and it puts up Billions of dollars towards the jackpots. .It's only right that our Lottery Officials weed out suspected shady stores..Don't you guys have these operations in your State?..l guess not.

Comment #42

rcbbuckeye — Tue, 05 May 2015 15:49:23 GMT

The ticket was not real.

It was never put out for sale.

It was given to the inspector by the commission to test the retailer.

It was not meant to entrap the retailer. But to see if the retailer would try to cheat the inspector.

Comment #41

pickone4me — Tue, 05 May 2015 15:36:07 GMT

Yes!! Finally someone else points it out.

Since the California Lottery officials used a top prize ticket to this game to try to entrap this station manager then that prize is no longer available for the real players of the game what are they going to do about this?

Watch out cbr$ my haters might not like you pointing that out.

Comment #40

pickone4me — Tue, 05 May 2015 15:33:14 GMT

Making ASSumptions like that doesn't doesn't give you a moral high ground to talk smack. If you and your new buddy have a problem the way I am looking at things, then tell us how the lottery inspector got a 75,000 ticket to investigate the place.

Comment #39

cbr$ — Tue, 05 May 2015 15:25:24 GMT

This was a honest mistake. When the manger, called the California Lottery official, the lottery official said someone would come by to pick up the ticket. The manger when to the new media to try to find the real winner. I have to say he did all he could have done. There no ground to fraud here. My only question is this. Since the California Lottery officials used a top prize ticket to this game to try to entrap this station manager then that prize is no longer available for the real players of t... [ More ]

Comment #38

atoz — Tue, 05 May 2015 15:10:41 GMT

I hear you noise-gate.... my bad....lol

Comment #37

rcbbuckeye — Tue, 05 May 2015 14:53:02 GMT

It's a little embarrassing to have to explain something so simple, but here goes.

The inspector didn't just happen to pull a $75000 ticket. The commission had this ticket made for the express purpose of testing a retailer. It was not a real winning ticket. It wasn't even a real ticket. It never was put out for sale. Lottery commissions do this all the time to make sure retailers aren't stealing from customers. Which is a real good thing.

Comment #36

noise-gate — Tue, 05 May 2015 14:10:27 GMT

Careful Pick- You keep making comments like that and people will think you never travel outside your trailer Park, let alone your State.

Comment #35

pickone4me — Tue, 05 May 2015 14:06:07 GMT

Do you believe everything the government tells you? I can't believe people won't look into how the lottery inspector just happened to pull a big 75,000 ticket. ( yes the clerk was in the wrong ) However it does put a spotlight on how the lottery investigation services came up with the ticket in the first place.

Comment #34

noise-gate — Tue, 05 May 2015 14:02:08 GMT

Careful Atoz- You keep making comments that make perfect sense and you will be labeled a Hater... As someone once said.

Comment #33

atoz — Tue, 05 May 2015 13:18:03 GMT

I cant believe some of the comments on here at times.

This was not the undercover agents personal ticket. It was part of the inspections he does to make sure that the people are not getting fleeced by the retailer like we here about so many times. He was working for the state and checking out different retailers.

Comment #32

pickone4me — Tue, 05 May 2015 13:07:33 GMT

The man had turned in a ticket for the top prize in the Wild West Poker Scratchers game. Players have a one in 1,196,120 chance of winning the $75,000 prize, according to the lottery's website for the game.

So, the lottery inspector just happened to have a big winner!? Aren't lottery employees prohibited from playing? My next concern is how in the hell did the lottery inspecter get a winning ticket? I want people to think about that for a long while. Actually I think they just outed themselve... [ More ]

Comment #31

rcbbuckeye — Tue, 05 May 2015 12:40:42 GMT

DUH...

Sorry got home late from work.

Don't get your panties in a wad.

Comment #30

pantherestates — Tue, 05 May 2015 09:38:37 GMT

Sorry...I don't believe this....the store was already under investigation..I think they knew they were under investigation and changed their minds at the last minute and then reached out to try to find the winner..well..the planted winner...yeah right...

Comment #29

savagegoose — Tue, 05 May 2015 08:30:35 GMT

thanks for the update Todd.

I want to know how a system can develop where a $75k prize can deliver $75 cash to a winner. surely there is tax implications.

WTF is wrong with the state lotto to even allow such a system to exist.

as in the prompt on the screen should say,

take $10 of customer for sales,. ,,,, pay 75 in prizes or major prize, get divers licence and address for identity purposes.

surly you have tills that add and subtract the balance from the float as the... [ More ]

Comment #28

ozwin$3 — Tue, 05 May 2015 07:06:42 GMT

An honest mistake. Clerks know that $75,000 will never be paid over the counter! He may have thought the machine was malfunctioning since it allowed the ticket to be paid. Don t think there was any dishonesty here.

Comment #27

RedStang — Tue, 05 May 2015 06:01:46 GMT

I bet that manager wanted to cash it but got cold feet and backed out. If he was that concerned he would of brought the ticket to the LO.

Comment #26

VenomV12 — Tue, 05 May 2015 04:55:03 GMT

Duh, nice Monday morning quarterbacking after Todd updated the story to include that information that we did not have when we made our comments.

Comment #25

beaudad — Tue, 05 May 2015 04:32:10 GMT

sure there isn't a Patel in there somewhere?.....Naturally the State Lottery is investigating the place....so MANY misread tickets...so little time !!! Beau

They only feel bad when they are caught !!! and feel Sorry when they get caught

Comment #24

noise-gate — Tue, 05 May 2015 04:16:38 GMT

Ok- lets dissect this report...

The gas station released surveillance video of the purported winner on Sunday in an effort to identify the man and reward him his rightful earnings, the station's manager said.

Oh yeah they did release the surveillance video....After more than a Month with the ticket in their possession.

Since the store held onto the ticket, it appears the ticket was mishandled, Lopez said in a brief statement. We are currently investigating this case.

Sure it... [ More ]

Comment #23

RJOh — Tue, 05 May 2015 04:14:58 GMT

Sounds like a scam that went bad on both sides, the state waiting for someone to try and claim the fake prize and the clerk and manager realizing a prize that size would be fully investigated.

Comment #22

maringoman — Tue, 05 May 2015 03:13:29 GMT

These sewer rats are not showing signs of stopping. Perhaps the business should lose the license to sell lottery and that ban should continue for 5 years for that particular address when the business gets sold. Then throw the thieving clerk in jail

Comment #21

rcbbuckeye — Tue, 05 May 2015 03:06:21 GMT

There is no $75000 prize. There is no winner. The winner was an inspector. Therefore there is no time period needed to collect.

Comment #20

noise-gate — Tue, 05 May 2015 02:36:27 GMT

So this ticket was scanned over a month ago and the store owner is saying his cashier made a mistake? ...Your Store has been under Sur-veil-lance Sir. Did you ever ask yourself why Mr Islam? I think you know now that the pieces are falling into place...don't you

Comment #19

grwurston — Tue, 05 May 2015 01:34:19 GMT

Obviously the winner never checked his ticket first. I'm thinking that perhaps he was a regular lottery customer and there fore the clerk knew him, if not his name, and realized his error and told his boss.

Just saw the story update so I guess this wasn't the case about him being a regular customer, but it's good to know there are honest clerks.

Comment #18

Todd — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:55:30 GMT

The news story has been updated with the latest surprise twist

Comment #17

zephbe — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:52:18 GMT

The winner deserves to be paid what he won.

Comment #16

chris-chase — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:39:40 GMT

I look at this from a different angle. If you are the winner and you are soooo feeble that you, as the winner let the clerk pay

you $75 off a $75k hit then you really don't deserve the $$$.

Comment #15

LottoMetro — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:36:29 GMT

The clerk had a change of heart when he saw the customer climb into a van with a California lottery banner on the side

Comment #14

lothob — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:32:35 GMT

Yes, a very thorough investigation lol

Comment #13

JAMORA — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:20:55 GMT

YEP! Saw that...lol... Dude was undercover for the lottery

Comment #12

zephbe — Tue, 05 May 2015 00:19:03 GMT

If the clerk had scanned the ticket it would not have given him an amount he was not authorized to pay out. It would have referred the winner to the lottery office. This sounds like a scam gone wrong.

Comment #11

DELotteryPlyr — Mon, 04 May 2015 23:42:39 GMT

I agree, and this issue is WHY they do this. No one wants the lottery agent seeing how much its worth. They just need to know they can't cash it.

Comment #10

maringoman — Mon, 04 May 2015 23:41:33 GMT

I thought the terminal usually informs the clerk to inform the customer to file a claim at the lottery offices when the prize exceeds $600? Maybe that's just in Massachusetts

Comment #9

lottolaughs — Mon, 04 May 2015 23:24:00 GMT

misread ........riiiight! Sounds like there will be a job for clerk opening up soon.

Chances are the guy will be back again to purchase more scratchoffs.

He's got 6 months.

Comment #8

hearsetrax — Mon, 04 May 2015 23:19:47 GMT

I could spend that in 8hrs

Comment #7

music* — Mon, 04 May 2015 23:09:54 GMT

Just imagine what you could do with $75,000.00

Comment #6

VenomV12 — Mon, 04 May 2015 23:04:12 GMT

What the hell? Most states, at least my state won't even give you a dollar amount over $500, it just tells you to contact the lottery office or something like that. This should never have happened. At least the clerk and owner were honest, so good on them. There should be no 6 month maximum time to reclaim his prize since the clerk screwed up, it should be held in a trust account until he is found, period.

Comment #5

savagegoose — Mon, 04 May 2015 22:56:20 GMT

If it was me I wouldnt be annoyed at all.

because i wouldnt $^^$%^ know.

Comment #4

inittowin — Mon, 04 May 2015 22:19:54 GMT

The CA lottery is saying that the guy who turned in the ticket was actually an under cover lottery agent.

Stay tuned for the news at 11

Comment #3

user71926 — Mon, 04 May 2015 22:17:35 GMT

Unbelievable! How do you misread $75.00 from $75,000.00

Comment #2

hearsetrax — Mon, 04 May 2015 22:13:47 GMT

imagine that an almost honest clerk

Comment #1

plumsage — Mon, 04 May 2015 22:13:32 GMT

And this is why you should always check your ticket yourself. Humans can always make mistakes. I hope they find the winner.

$75,000 California Lottery winner leaves with only $75

Lottery Post — Mon, 04 May 2015 22:07:24 GMT

UPDATE: Winner was actually undercover inspector

By Todd Northrop

The search is on for a lottery winner in California who walked away with a much smaller prize than he actually won.

A man who went to cash out his Wild West Poker scratch-off lottery ticket at a Palmdale, California, gas station was given $75, but his ticket was actually worth $75,000.

Officials are trying to track down the man who went into a Palmdale store and was thousands of dollars short of his winnings.

Shamsu... [ More ]