Man denied $5 million lottery win

[madoka]

Totally sucks to lose $5 million over this. My kids often ask if they can stick the bills in lottery machines or push the buttons picking the tickets. I guess that's got to stop.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lottery-long-beach-lawsuit-20170721-story.html

Long Beach man is suing the state and the California Lottery Commission, claiming he was denied $5 million in prize money because his 16-year-old son purchased his winning ticket.

In October, Ward Thomas sent his son to buy five scratchers from a Mobil gas station on Bellflower Boulevard in Long Beach using a dozen other winning tickets, according to a lawsuit filed Thursday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

After snagging the tickets, the teen went outside to pass them to his father.

At home that night, Thomas scratched the tickets and discovered that one was a winner, with a prize value of $5 million.

Within a couple of hours of the purchase, the lawsuit states, Thomas validated the ticket at a 7-Eleven. The following day, he validated it again at the lottery’s Santa Ana district office.

But two months later, the state and the commission “improperly” withheld the prize money from Thomas because his son — who at 16, was not legally able to play — bought the ticket, according to the suit. Lottery participants must be 18 years old.

 

[Red Squirrel]

That's ridiculous.

Actually why is there even an age restriction on lotto anyway? I can understand a restriction for alcohol and smokes, but why lotto? Kids have a limited amount of money (ex: allowance) and their lives also don't depend on it. If they choose to blow it all on lotto it's not like that much harm will be done. They just won't be able to buy candy.

I'm 31 but lot of people think I'm under 18 and I still get carded over lotto tickets, I think it's silly. I'm some serious gambler there blowing a whole $5 bill on a lotto ticket, the government has to protect me.

 

[FelixDeCat]

This will likely get overturned in court.

The ruling should be that while children are not allowed to play and therefore should not be able to collect winnings, a child who purchased a ticket on their parents behalf and gives that ticket to their parents to cash has given that right to their parents to collect and therefore legally own, posses and collect any prize money won from that ticket.

 

[rh71]

yup the kid didn't play it.

Did they have security footage of the purchase or something?

 

[MrSquished]

yup the kid didn't play it.

Did they have security footage of the purchase or something?

It would be interesting to know how they found out. Usually with large lottery wins the store that sold the winning ticket gets a payout. When the prize is large it's a nice payout. Not sure if this applies to scratch offs, but if so the store would have zero incentive to bring this to light unless it really interfered with their morals. Would love to know the details.

 

[GagHalfrunt]

yup the kid didn't play it.

Did they have security footage of the purchase or something?

What would security footage prove? Only that the kid bought *a* ticket, not that the kid bought *the* ticket.

And yeah, why would the store do anything here? They lose their share of the payoff and they show that they illegally sell lottery tickets to minors. Not any incentive for them to release any camera footage. There's got to be more to this story, like the kid/family bragging in interviews about how it all went down. Otherwise nobody would possibly know.

 

[madoka]

This will likely get overturned in court.

They're going to lose on the issue of whether the kid could buy the ticket on behalf of his father and judging by the way the lawsuit is phrased, they know it.

Did they have security footage of the purchase or something?

Apparently the Lotto reviews security footage of all big wins.

There is a video on the link in the OP explaining it.

 

[madoka]

What would security footage prove? Only that the kid bought *a* ticket, not that the kid bought *the* ticket.

The store already provided the video to Lotto, which is why they were denied.

They didn't know that Lotto would review big winners and got burned.

 

[Darwin333]

Guess you should wait a few weeks if you ever have a big lotto winning ticket so any footage they could use to bullshit you out of your winnings has been overwritten.

 

[magomago]

ugh huge dilemma. if there has to be an age restriction, then ID need to be checked at time of purchase, otherwise, people are unknowingly buying into something they cant win. that is very deceptive, and its probably by design because less people may play lotto if they can't send their kid in to get some tickets while they fill up gas.

 

[Paladin3]

This guy is never going to see dime one of the $5 million or $50k he is suing for. If you believe his BS story, he sent his 16 year old kid in to illegally gamble when he asked him to buy the lottery tickets. You can't have a minor child buy you age restricted items. No judge in this world is going to reward a crime, even one this minor.

I lived 40+ years in Cali and it's posted everywhere that you have to be 18 to play the lottery. Lottery retailers are supposed to card young players, but claiming you are now damaged and deserve $50k because they didn't stop you from breaking the law is absurd. I'd almost like to see the idiot father charged for instructing his underage son to gamble for him. That's exactly what he claims he did, after all.

If anyone got cheated it was the person who was next in line after the son to buy a scratcher. That kid illegally bought his winning ticket. Maybe he should sue too. It would make about as much sense.

 

[Paladin3]

ugh huge dilemma. if there has to be an age restriction, then ID need to be checked at time of purchase, otherwise, people are unknowingly buying into something they cant win. that is very deceptive, and its probably by design because less people may play lotto if they can't send their kid in to get some tickets while they fill up gas.

Deceptive?!?!?! It's posted *everywhere* that you have to be 18 to play the CA lottery. It's not exactly a secret, and ignorance of the law is never a valid legal defense. I've seen people wait hours in line to buy a scratcher or lottery ticket, nobody needs to be tricked into buying one.

Say it with me---> "PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY"

 

[sdifox]

I tried to let my son hand the money to the clerk after I asked for a ticket and the clerk promptly told me it is illegal for the kid to be involved in the transaction, even if it is just handing over the money.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Totally sucks to lose $5 million over this. My kids often ask if they can stick the bills in lottery machines or push the buttons picking the tickets. I guess that's got to stop.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-lottery-long-beach-lawsuit-20170721-story.html

Uhhh, so the question is - how did the state know that the 16 year old "bought" them. I put that around quotes because it was the father's money, he just completed the transaction.

edit: I see it was from store video. I still stand by the dad...

 

[Paladin3]

Uhhh, so the question is - how did the state know that the 16 year old "bought" them. I put that around quotes because it was the father's money, he just completed the transaction.

edit: I see it was from store video. I still stand by the dad...

It is illegal for any minor to compete, hand over the money, or be involved in any way in the purchase of an aged restricted item. That goes for booze, cigarettes, firearms, knives, fireworks, pointed sticks and even lottery tickets. What is so hard to understand?

You and the dad need to stand in the corner.

 

[Stopsignhank]

What is the difference between the dad telling his 16 year old kid to buy the lottery tickets, or telling his 16 year old kid to pick up a 12 pack of beer?

Nope, kid would be underage for both of those transactions. The guy does not get the money.

Damn you P3, I was posting the same thing! You not only said it faster than me, you were more eloquent.

 

[Ken g6]

It is illegal for any minor to compete, hand over the money, or be involved in any way in the purchase of an aged restricted item. That goes for booze, cigarettes, firearms, knives, fireworks, pointed sticks and even lottery tickets. What is so hard to understand?

You and the dad need to stand in the corner.

I hear in some countries they teach five year olds to use machetes. I draw the line at explosives and drugs, but at least some knives and gambling should be legal for minors.

 

[bigboxes]

Lame reason to deny the man his winnings. Yeah, the State of California is thinking of the kid.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

I hear in some countries they teach five year olds to use machetes. I draw the line at explosives and drugs, but at least some knives and gambling should be legal for minors.

Plenty people that are sane, rational, and not retarded would realize that everytime a kid plays a claw game or any other "prize" based games that it is a form of gambling. But, you know, that's totally acceptable vs. a $1 or $5 scratch-off

 

[Raduque]

Hooray for California! Hooray for Communism!

Fuck California.

Seriously.

Buying a ticket != "playing" the lottery.

If you disagree, go kill yourself now.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Deceptive?!?!?! It's posted *everywhere* that you have to be 18 to play the CA lottery. It's not exactly a secret, and ignorance of the law is never a valid legal defense. I've seen people wait hours in line to buy a scratcher or lottery ticket, nobody needs to be tricked into buying one.

Say it with me---> "PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY"

You keep harping on "PLAY", now isn't "PLAY" the one scratching off the ticket and claiming the prize? Or is their opinion that cashing in several other scratch tickets to buy the new winning one the illegality?

 

[WHAMPOM]

This will likely get overturned in court.

The ruling should be that while children are not allowed to play and therefore should not be able to collect winnings, a child who purchased a ticket on their parents behalf and gives that ticket to their parents to cash has given that right to their parents to collect and therefore legally own, posses and collect any prize money won from that ticket.

Not so fast, what was not legal was cashing in winning tickets to buy the new ones.

 

[umbrella39]

Does the California State Lottery seek out and refund all the countless losing tickets purchased by minors (for or not for their parents) or do they gleefully pocket the money... Seems they only care about minors illegally purchasing tickets if they are winners...

 

[who?]

Since the judgements part of a child's brain isn't fully developed a child may be more susceptible to developing gambling addiction.

 

[Paladin3]

Does the California State Lottery seek out and refund all the countless losing tickets purchased by minors (for or not for their parents) or do they gleefully pocket the money... Seems they only care about minors illegally purchasing tickets if they are winners...

Repay??? How about they prosecute the dad for allowing his kid to gamble while underage?

Some of you folks have wacky morals and even wackier ideas about what's lawful.