Most lottery retailers are honest decent people. And they get a real buzz when their store creates a big lottery winner.

But greed can do unpleasant things to some people.

A recent NBC broadcast warned of the danger of dishonest store clerks attempting to steal winning lottery tickets.

Here’s How It Works

You walk into your local store to check your lottery ticket. That could be a scratch-off ticket or a regular lotto game.

Heading over to the scan your ticket machine, you’re pleased to see “Congratulations, see retailer”. (Most machines do not tell you how much you have won!)

So you hand over your ticket to the store clerk who checks the ticket for you, and “bing”, you are indeed a winner. He hands back your winning ticket plus your meagre winnings.

Now the reality is, this dishonest store clerk just switched your ticket for another. Why? Because his machine told him you won a big prize, which he is going to claim for himself once you leave the shop.

How Rare Is This?

It’s impossible to say. The lottery companies themselves are very aware of it and are working hard to prevent it.

But they only investigate big prizes. It’s actually even more likely to happen for small wins where the retailer can simply say “sorry, no win this time” and happily claim your small win.

So How Do You Protect Yourself?

It’s actually really simple.

1. Always sign the back of EVERY ticket as soon as you buy it.
2. Check lottery tickets yourself.
3. Or simply play the lottery online instead.

By all means use a scanner to check for a winning ticket. But if it is a winner, go online or find a newspaper with the lottery results to check which prize you actually won.

UPDATE: This is on the increase – please warn friends and family how to protect themselves. And hit the Like button below to share on Facebook.

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1. Does Buying More Tickets Change The Odds Of Winning The Lottery?
2. Which Area Has Had the Most Big Lottery Wins?
3. Play The Lottery Online?

For those that haven’t heard of the anti online gambling law, you’ll be stunned to find your American cousins are not allowed to play in online lottery syndicates, in any country, not even the US. Why? Because this piece of crazy all crushing law was snuck through, hidden beneath the SAFE Port Act – an entirely unrelated piece of legislation to improve security of US ports! It’s interesting to note that the “Internet Gambling Prohibition and Enforcement Act” was previously rejected when it wasn’t hidden under the carpet. (You can find the bill here at the Library of Congress).

Thankfully Lee Rousso, an attorney in Renton, WA has been successful in securing a hearing date to challenge the law. Yes, he’s taking Washing State to court, in what will be the first challenge to this crazy piece of unwanted law. The hearing will be 21 September 2007. So mark your diaries cousin America, it could all change. (You can follow Rousso’s progress here).

What do you think of the US ‘anti online gambling law’? How have you been affected personally? Add you comments below.

Related posts:

1. Are The Free Online Lottery Sites Genuine?
2. Play The Lottery Online?
3. The Lottery: A Tax On The Stupid & Mathematically Challenged – YAWN!

A pat on the back today to the state of Missouri, USA for clamping down on a New York company that sells recommended lottery numbers — numbers they claim put you “one step closer to actually winning some money off your state lottery.” What bull!

‘Multi-Plays of America Inc.’ will cease doing business in Missouri under a court-approved agreement. Not the first US state to do so either.

Attorney General Jay Nixon had this to say: “The selection of numbers by the Missouri Lottery is a random process, and anyone who tells you they can predict what numbers will come up is purely guessing. You would be just as well off getting numbers from a fortune cookie.”

Nixon also added, “But one thing is for sure: If anyone tries to take money from Missouri consumers by saying otherwise, eventually their luck will run out.”

[So take note all you vendors of fake 'lottery systems'. If you can't prove your claim to be able to pick 'better' lottery numbers (and I know you can't!) it's time to start worrying if you are under investigation yet too...]

Be warned though ‘Multi-Plays of America’ are still operating in other areas of the US at the moment, so don’t waste your money if you live in the US and get a telesales call from them. Their ‘recommended lottery numbers’ are no better than entirely random selections.

Related posts:

1. Crazy Rare Consecutive Lottery Numbers On Florida Lottery
2. Can Anyone Predict What Lottery Numbers Will Be Drawn..?
3. Picking Lottery Numbers – Myth 1