Check Those Tickets But Be Careful

Those of us who play the lottery know there are several ways to check for a winning ticket. Most state lotteries maintain a website where winning numbers can be checked. Newspapers also print daily winning lottery numbers. Winning lottery numbers are also announced on evening news programs on television. Other lottery players rely on checking their numbers at the lottery terminal where they purchased their tickets.

Recent news from Minnesota suggests that relying on the honesty of the clerk at the lottery terminal may not be such a good idea. Five convenience store employees and their accomplices are charged with lottery fraud after the Minnesota Alcohol & Gambling Enforcement Division set up a sting operation. Undercover officers presented decoy tickets that appeared to be large winners to clerks and asked them to verify it was a winning ticket. They also wanted to know if the clerk would tell them to take the ticket to the state lottery office in Roseville. Winning lottery tickets worth over $599 must be redeemed at the state lottery office.

In a few cases the clerks said the decoy lottery ticket was not a winner and offered to dispose of it. They would then send an accomplice to the state lottery office to cash it. Although the number of incidents was small it reinforces the fact that lottery players need to be cautious and check winning lottery numbers from a reputable source.

In all eight convenience store clerks were charged with fraud. Although fewer than 3% of the clerks tested violated the law incidents like these should make lottery players everywhere cautious. Lottery players need to check their lottery tickets with reputable sources. Probably the most trustworthy source of all is the official state lottery website that all states with a lottery maintain.

Some states are considering the implementation of online lottery ticket sales. Players can log on to a lottery website and purchase online lottery tickets with a debit or credit card or use one of the many ewallet services. Players could also check for the latest lottery results which could eliminate the kind of fraud that took place in Minnesota. Winners could be notified by email saving a trip to a lottery terminal to check numbers. In Europe the sale of online lottery tickets has been well received. Players say they appreciate the convenience of online lottery tickets. Giving players the ability to buy lottery tickets online is an idea whose time has come.