Should we all demand some money back from the state?

Question

I'm talking about the lotto scam. Scratch off are played in 42 states. Some states continue to sell tickets after the grand prize is won. This is illegal, its call fraud. If you and me did it, we would be locked up. They either should announce that you can no longer win the grand prize, or discontinue selling that style of ticket. The state racks in 20 million a year from these sales. A professor is suing the state of VA. The law states that you can get 3 times the amount that the person loss during the fraud. Thats million and millions of dollars. I'm not sure how many states do this out of the 42. But its common practice. Should we demand some type of repayment?

Answer 1

good question

Answer 2

No - that would not be sustainable - what if the first ticket that was scratched was the grand prize? If that had to be announced then the other tickets would not sell, so where would the money come from for the prize? The lotteries would go bankrupt within a month.

The only way it could work was if all the tickets were sold first, then the prizes were issued all in one go, and nobody wants that - people buy scratch cards for instant wins.

I'm sure there are disclaimers on the backs of the cards that say how many cards carry grand prizes - it is up to you whether you buy them, knowing there is a chance there might be no prizes left.

Anyway, you can't possibly say that he "lost" the grand prize due to fraud - there is only a tiny tiny chance he would have won anyway. Here in the UK scratchcards are mostly only £1, so even if he won the claim he would only get £3. Surely that can't be worth it?

I would say this is yet another example of the screwed up practice that seems to be rife in America of suing people with little or no reason, just to try and make a quick buck.

Answer 3

Oh God, who really cares? Is this really an issue? I never play the lotto, which is (to be blunt) a tax on the stupid.

I think you should stay in school, get a decent job, work hard, make something of yourself, and not waste your time on such frippery. I'd rather have my state collect a greater share of tax revenues from that side of the Bell Curve, anyway.

Answer 4

We should be able to, but it probably wouldn't happen. You'd have to be able to PROVE that they knowingly did something wrong.

Answer 5

I stopped buying Lotto tickets here in Florida when I realized that I would have a much, much better chance of being hit by Lightening on any given rainy day then I would in ever winning the Lottery.

You are right!  It is a scam and even when they come up with the "Play Three" winning numbers they removed at least two of the balls before the numbers were picked! - Thus drawing from only 8 balls instead of a full 10!

And they probably follow this scenario when it comes to the number of balls used in the other "games" of chance also!

Answer 6

ya people shouldn't gamble