Scratch off lottery ticket question

[pumpkinfish]

I know this might sound really stupid....but I need to find out

My friend in NY sent me a scratch off lottery ticket she bought in NY. I just scratched it and won $8! Yay lol...but can I cash this in here in VA at my local 7-11??? Even though it says NY lottery on the back? (yeah I know, stupid question).

[Kitzka]

I don't think you can. I think it has to be cashed in NY. I buy scratch offs for my grandmother in NJ and send them to her. If she wins any money she sends them back to me and i either buy her more tickets or send her the cash.

Lara

[disneygrl143]

yeah you can cash them anywhere! well thats how it is in florida where i live. my friends and family send me lotto tickets and if i won i cash them anywhere

[rflorek]

Originally Posted by disneygrl143

yeah you can cash them anywhere! well thats how it is in florida where i live. my friends and family send me lotto tickets and if i won i cash them anywhere

You cannot cash another state's scratch off lotto tickets in in your state (at least not NY, NJ or PA tickets - they have to be cashed in in the state where they were purchased). Are you sure that they didn't send you FL tickets that you were able to redeem in Florida?

[rflorek]

Originally Posted by pumpkinfish

I know this might sound really stupid....but I need to find out

My friend in NY sent me a scratch off lottery ticket she bought in NY. I just scratched it and won $8! Yay lol...but can I cash this in here in VA at my local 7-11??? Even though it says NY lottery on the back? (yeah I know, stupid question).

You can only cash a NY scratch off ticket in NY. If you go to the official NY LOttery site to this page: http://www.nylottery.org/ny/nyStore/...vRoot_306.htm?, you can print off a mailer that lets you claim your prize by mail.

[pumpkinfish]

Thanks everyone for the findings!!! I'll send the lotto ticket back to her. She has a huge heart and meant well by sending it

[amcnj]

Unless it is a multi-state game like Mega-millions or Powerball, I wouldn;t think a state would pay off on anotehr state's lottery tickets. I am not aware of any multi-state scratch off lottery tickets, but that doesn't mean they don't exist!

[Cheshire Figment]

Even if it is a multi-state game it can only be negotiated in the state where it was sold.

I would click on the link in rflorek's post, print out the claim form, and mail it to New York. They will send you a check within a few weeks.

[pumpkinfish]

Originally Posted by Cheshire Figment

Even if it is a multi-state game it can only be negotiated in the state where it was sold.

I would click on the link in rflorek's post, print out the claim form, and mail it to New York. They will send you a check within a few weeks.

Thank you for this but I already sent a card with the lotto ticket and thanked her
In the future I'll check with the state lotto sites first and then find out where I could send it.

[JB2K]

Originally Posted by disneygrl143

yeah you can cash them anywhere! well thats how it is in florida where i live. my friends and family send me lotto tickets and if i won i cash them anywhere

Are you sure??

Usually state lotteries are run by an agency/commission in that particular state (even if you won Powerball or Mega Millions, you would still have to go through the state that issued the winning ticket).

In other words, you can't buy a Missouri Lottery ticket in St. Louis, MO and redeem it at an Illinois Lottery outlet in East St. Louis, IL.

[Cindy's Mom]

Up until last month, I worked for the State of Illinois am an well versed in all our state agencies. I know for fact that you can not cash an Illinois lottery scratch off ticket in any other state other than Illinois.

I can't see you being able to do that with other states, it doesn't make sense.

If that were the case, NO ONE would take Illinois' ticket, because it would take years and years for the state to reimburse them. Our fine governor would tell them to get in line

[parkers*momma]

I work for the Ohio Lottery and can tell you that you can NOT, under any circumstances cash in any SCRATCH off lottery ticket or any lottery game in any other state. Nor can you redeem a Megaball or Power Ball ticket in any other state other than were it was issued.

Any type of Lotterty ticket is only good in the state that it is issued. If an agent or it's employees are redeeming a ticket from another state, they are "Sight" cashing them (not running the ticket through their machine), They, the agent, are losing money for each ticket they cash from another state. This is why it is important to actually validate any ticket that comes into an establishment and not "sight" validate them.

[Imzadi]

Originally Posted by rflorek

You can only cash a NY scratch off ticket in NY. If you go to the official NY LOttery site to this page: http://www.nylottery.org/ny/nyStore/...vRoot_306.htm?, you can print off a mailer that lets you claim your prize by mail.

What's to stop it from being "lost" in the mail?

[Cheshire Figment]

Originally Posted by Imzadi

What's to stop it from being "lost" in the mail?

I don't know the specific procedures, but any large organization that expects to get any negotiable instruments in the mail has at least two people opening mail together.

As a retired CPA who was an Internal Auditor for a large non-profit for many years my educated guess is that when an envelope is opened with a claim form it will be mechanically stamped with a date/time as well as automatically numbered. The ticket will immediately be scanned and the winning ticket slip from the machine will be attached to the claim form. These will all be logged in and every number must be accounted for. There is even the possibility that both the claim form and ticket will be immediately scanned into a computer recordkeeping system.

But whatever procedures are used they will be designed to protect against just about anything other than collusion. And I would also expect that there are videos made of all activity in the mail room.