Store Clerk Playing Unfair? Is This Legal?

Reply #24

ohhhnoomrbill — Tue, 17 May 2011 15:48:12 GMT

...that's why there's push to use vending machines to sell tickets. I never disclose losing tickets for that reason (at least to a strange store-clerk).....the odds go up for a win after a run---of losers. Heck the odds are posted on the back of the ticket---but lol... I heard about clerks getting the fever---buying odds-favored tickets---and losing their job with a cash-short register .

Reply #23

ameriken — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 12:37:59 GMT

I've never seen or heard of any of this before. I guess I'm living too sheltered of a lottery life. I buy my tickets from a machine inside a busy King Soopers grocery store. The clerks are always too busy helping customers, and the machine is in a fairly high traffic area which is too conspicuous for any would-be lurkers.

Reply #22

dallascowboyfan — Sat, 30 Apr 2011 10:16:20 GMT

with you both.....

Reply #21

rdgrnr — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 02:57:58 GMT

Cashiers or other employees should not be allowed to buy or cash tickets for themselves in their own places of employment.

I know that it would be hard to enforce but if the punishment was somewhat more undesirable than usual it might work.

Like public flogging in front of their convenience stores if caught disobeying the law. With customers allowed to give a few lashes with a $10 purchase.

And any money they won would be given to the multi-millionaires retirement fund.

Reply #20

time*treat — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 21:35:22 GMT

Not every state allows the retailer to buy tickets at their own store.

https://www.lotterypost.com/news/206553

Reply #19

dr65 — Tue, 19 Apr 2011 00:29:51 GMT

Opportunists. They'll smile at you like they are joking but it's the eyes...it's all in the eyes.

There IS something not right about employees playing, selling, handling, activating and cashing tickets.

This has been discussed before. Even if their only advantage is knowing who bought how many of what,

who lost on what tickets and who turned in bigger winners then that is an advantage that should preclude

them from being able to play while on their shift. Anyone who handles, act... [ More ]

Reply #18

MattfromPA — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 23:57:19 GMT

There's a clerk I really like at Giant who has helped me with a lot of cash-ins. I asked her if she'd let me tip her, but although she was flattered, she wasn't allowed to take a tip. I got asked by this other clerk for a tip at Giant then when I shouldn't have been asked. I wonder how many clerks go against policy. I'd have no problem tipping on $200 or more winnings, but at Giant I will say no.

Reply #17

James1 — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:53:10 GMT

I got asked the other day arent you gonna tip me, you have been winning so much .

Are some people just so arrogant or what

Reply #16

RJOh — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:36:17 GMT

It is also a good reason to be as friendly as possible with the clerks in the stores that you frequent. they are a wealth of knowledge!

Some folks take that even farther by being friendly with everyone coming into the store to buy tickets. Nothing erks me more than folks hanging out at a store near the counter saying Remember me if you have the big winner to everyone buying tickets. I'm usually courteous and just smile and move on when I really feel like saying Who in the h.......... are you... [ More ]

Reply #15

Spincognito — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 21:13:53 GMT

This is the very reason I have always wanted a part-time job as a clerk. Any money earned would be spent on higher-probability tickets. It is also a good reason to be as friendly as possible with the clerks in the stores that you frequent. they are a wealth of knowledge! They know which tix have hit and are usually willing to share the info. Clerks are not employees of the lottery so it would be up to the store owners to ban employees from playing while on duty. In Mass, there are many obstacles... [ More ]

Reply #14

MattfromPA — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:59:11 GMT

We can't prevent everything underhanded. I think at the least clerks shouldn't buy from their own store IF they work at customer service and see the winners.

Reply #13

time*treat — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:34:01 GMT

If it were the case, then clerks all over the country would be able to scan these and find big winners, then quit their jobs or live very comfortably.

Well, they could try, but a record is generated every time a ticket is scanned.

Normally, its buy-code is scanned when it is bought and the prize-code is scanned, later, when it is checked for a win.

Get the order or timing wrong, and you're busted.

Reply #12

Mamma28z — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 20:23:48 GMT

What you probably saw was them scanning the roll in- not sure of the correct wording.

I got three $2 tickets last night at a gas station- went home and scratched them, won $40 on one. Today I took it in another store to cash it in and the clerk told me it was not 'activated' ? (again I am not sure on the wording) .. Handed me a slip and the ticket back- said to take it back where I got it. So I did and the guy there had no clue what to do, his boss would be back in an hour... ggggrrrrr So I w... [ More ]

Reply #11

TheOtherOne — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:56:58 GMT

It might have appeared that way ronnie, but there is no real way for clerks to do this (scroll up in this thread for more info).

If it were the case, then clerks all over the country would be able to scan these and find big winners, then quit their jobs or live very comfortably.

To scan and see a scratch off as a big winner, certain codes or numbers on the front of the code must be scanned and/or entered.

That being said, if you ever buy a scratcher that already has numbers or codes scr... [ More ]

Reply #10

ronniec — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:38:33 GMT

I'm glad i saw this post they do more dirt than what is being talked about in this thread!!!! I walked into the local store and saw the clerk scanning a brand new roll of scatch offs for big winners. She was using the machine that tells you if its a winner before giving it to the clerk to cash in. If i hadn't seen this post I wouldn't have said anything because how can i prove what I saw

Reply #9

TheOtherOne — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 17:21:02 GMT

Very good point B$Rizzle.

or at the very least just dont cash your winners at the same store, with the same clerk. If you do, just hold on to them for several hours or the next day so they wont know whether you won or lost. Sometimes when I do this, if I know the clerk is watching, I feel like they are puzzled and curious as to why I dont cash them and how much I won or lost.

I know store clerks are typically just trying to make an extra buck here or there like us, but I feel like they sho... [ More ]

Reply #8

B$Rizzle — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:46:09 GMT

True..

Plus the best defense we all have against this, is to just buy your dayum scratchers and scratch them somewhere else (not in the store)....Then the clerks will not know if you won or not.

No reason peopel should be getting upset about this when they are sitting there scratching them in the store in front of the clerks. Just take them to your car and scratch. End of story

Reply #7

Raven62 — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 12:48:30 GMT

Clerks will then Buy Tickets from another Store from a Clerk who is their Friend and vice versa.

Reply #6

brownshuga — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:44:50 GMT

yea it is something else I know here in north carolina store clerks can not buy scratch offs while they are on the clock

Reply #5

MattfromPA — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 23:31:30 GMT

Agree 100%, Ralphie! Store clerks should be able to buy, but not from their own store.

Reply #4

Ralphie762 — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 22:35:27 GMT

It's not illegal for store clerks to play scratch off tickets, but they are at a much better advantage than the average customer is - after all, they witness who has and who hasn't won.

Let's say there is one guy who purchases ten tickets, scratches them at the store, and loses on all of them. The guy (who, unfortunately, either has ran out of money or just doesn't have any more or doesn't want to play any more) leaves. The store clerk witnesses this and - voila - will purchase the next ticke... [ More ]

Reply #3

erik83 — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 16:36:45 GMT

One day, I was at Winn Dixie cashing in my $100 winner on the $20 Monopoly, I saw a clerk from a Marathon Gas Station cashing in $885.00 In winners of Scratch-Offs, Her biggest win was $400 on Aces and 8's.....They should make it illeagl for them to Play Scratch-Offs, I mean, those Scratch-Offs could have been our winners, They need to enforce a policy that store clerks can't play the florida lottery.

I went to get a $20 Gold Rush Ticket once and I saw that 2 of the codes were scratched off... [ More ]

Reply #2

chinalinda143 — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:47:56 GMT

B$Rizzle,

Thank you for your reply, I am sorry I was mistaken it was the very top prize that the game produced $200K. Ok yes I understand that but it's the fact that these are on the job employees at the time i saw this in otherwords while working the Lottery section and Scratch off's while on the job, they are just scrtaching away. I know that because they are not the Store Owner that is fine they have the option to play like anyone of us, but my question is while on that timeclock work... [ More ]

Reply #1

B$Rizzle — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:23:29 GMT

Unfortunately, the Cruise for Cash $5 Scratcher does NOT have a $500K Top Prize.

I think you are mistaken ;)

P.S - Whats wrong with the store owner security gaurd paying/playing scratch offs? They dont work at the FL Lottery Commision, therefore they are allowed to play. I dont see what this is an issue

Store Clerk Playing Unfair? Is This Legal?

chinalinda143 — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:18:51 GMT

Hello Everyone,

Ok I wanted to ask everyone's opinion on this. I have stopped going to a store that I used to go to here locally close to me, becasue one day I was playing my normal lottery tickets and I saw the clerk and the security guard working there getting scratch off tickets the clerk would give him 4 scratch off tickets he scratched it in the bottom and then she would just check it for him, it's clear to me they were looking for a winner, this got me upset. Becasue I believe this... [ More ]