WWYD? Would you mail in a big lottery ticket?

[bcla]

It’s just a silly what if. I plunk down a couple of bucks just for the entertainment. However, I got curious and found that a lot of lottery offices are closed to the public due to COVID-19. In my state it’s only been recent since the Governor laid down a stay at home order, with no timeline for reopening. The main office is open though, but not to the public. I checked other states, which have closed their offices since maybe April. The recommendation now is to mail it in, although some have “secure drop off”. Some have extended their claim deadlines. A few states can take appointments.

I started thinking if anyone would really consider just mailing a winning ticket in worth thousands to possibly hundreds of millions. Not even a courier like FedEx would be enough.

It doesn’t occur to me that anyone would really risk mailing in something so valuable. A few states say they don't allow mail in of any win above a certain amount and that they’ll extend the claim deadline in that case.

it might be something that can be negotiated on a case by case basis.

 

[Donald13]

I don’t know what I’d do. It would depend on the amount.

 

[fla4fun]

I would contact the lottery officials and ask what to do.

 

[bcla]

I don’t know what I’d do. It would depend on the amount.

I’m wondering who might risk mailing in something worth millions. The current Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots are more than $300 million, although the lump sum cash value is less. I suppose it might be possible to have a courier (maybe an armored car service) deliver a winning ticket, but what about receiving the check?

The usual is to give large winners the option to mail out a check or to pick it up. My state even offers an escort by a security officer to a bank. I know if it was me, I’d have it waiting for pickup and I’d take the offer for security. This is also the sort of thing that should be arranged in advance, such as arrangement via a private banking service to make sure the bank can accept such a large sum.

 

[starry_solo]

I would be making lots of color copies of the winning ticket, first.

As to what else I would do, I'm not sure that I would trust it to anyone other than a personal delivery. If the mailing address is a physical location, I'd go there (even if it's supposedly closed)...

Yup, here is the physical location for CA:
California State Lottery
730 North 10th Street
Sacramento, CA 95811

However, at least in CA, for the mega millions or power ball jackpot, you have a year to claim it.

So, I would likely send a color copy of the ticket with the claim form to the lottery office to give them advance notification, find an attorney or two to help me with estate planning, and then go in once it opens (even if I'm not done with the estate planning).

 

[JimMIA]

I don’t know what I’d do. It would depend on the amount.

Right, because how you would handle the situation would depend on the amount.

If it was really big money, most experts advise several things:

1. Keep your big mouth shut! Don't tell anyone who doesn't have an absolute right and need to know.
2. Get professional help from lawyers and others experienced in handling such a situation.

Here's the standard CNBC story they run every time the big jackpots get over about $300 million.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/21/meg...p-320-million.html?&qsearchterm=mega millions

 

[JimMIA]

If anyone actually DOES WIN either of those two big jackpots, just PM me and I'll give you amazing help in handling the money!

 

[sam_gordon]

I would be making lots of color copies of the winning ticket, first.

I don't think that would do any good. As far as what I would do...

1) Get a safety deposit box and put it in there.
2) Find out (call the lottery office) if I should sign it. (I vaguely remember hearing about signing it to help prove providence).
3) Contact a lawyer and hire him for guidance.
4) Contact a financial advisor and hire him for guidance.

Listen to to what #3 & #4 tell me what to do. I'm sure part of the steps would include:
5) Setting address & phone numbers to unlisted.
6) Possibly getting new phone numbers for entire family

ETA: I would not just mail it in. If I absolutely could not deliver it myself, it would be handled by something with tracking and a LOT of insurance.

 

[neverlandsky]

With our closed lottery office, if you're a big winner they said you can still call to schedule an appointment to claim your prize.

 

[bcla]

Right, because how you would handle the situation would depend on the amount.

If it was really big money, most experts advise several things:

1. Keep your big mouth shut! Don't tell anyone who doesn't have an absolute right and need to know.
2. Get professional help from lawyers and others experienced in handling such a situation.

Here's the standard CNBC story they run every time the big jackpots get over about $300 million.

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/12/21/meg...p-320-million.html?&qsearchterm=mega millions

That was kind of a blast to the past. I remember when Mega Millions was $1 a ticket.

In my state one can't shield one's identity by forming a trust. It can go to a trust, but the members of the trust can be found. Here the disclosure requirement is for the name of the winner and the location where the ticket was purchased. It might be harder to trace if the purchase location is far away from where the person lives. Also a common name, although that might create problems for people with the same name. The one big benefit in my state is that if the ticket was purchased in California and it's a California resident, the prize isn't subject to state taxes. Of course some states don't state income tax.

But yeah - I would personally arrange for a private banking service from one of the big banks that can handle a large deposit. Show them a winning ticket (they should be able to verify it easily), say you're going to establish an account and perhaps use their investing service, and they'll gladly provide tons of services, starting with a safe deposit box. Maybe even an advance.

But still - I don't think it's reasonable for anyone to think that anyone would mail in a large value winning ticket. If it was worth $1000 - maybe. There's this guy who claimed to have a winning $63 million ticket, mailed it in, but the ticket wasn't readable. It looks like it was exposed to some solvent that wipes out thermal paper. Even if it was exposed to sunlight it would be somewhat readable. They also looked at the serial number(s) on the back of the ticket stock and figured out where it was purchased and about when. From what I understand, the actual prize went unclaimed, which meant that the jackpot went to the school system. He also sued and was required by the court to pay attorneys fees.

https://mynewsla.com/life/2019/10/2...-ordering-man-to-pay-attorneys-fees-to-state/

 

[bcla]

With our closed lottery office, if you're a big winner they said you can still call to schedule an appointment to claim your prize.

I'm not sure why California has no way to even make an appointment. I do have the feeling that if someone calls them up claiming to have a multimillion dollar winner, they'll make an exception. Maybe.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

I would definitely deliver it in person.... that said, I am sitting a lottery winning scratch-off for $2 that I won in my stocking at work... I figure I will just take that to Meijer

 

[bcla]

I would definitely deliver it in person.... that said, I am sitting a lottery winning scratch-off for $2 that I won in my stocking at work... I figure I will just take that to Meijer

Don't spend it all in one place.

There used to be difficulties cashing in tickets years ago. It was a huge pain when the California Lottery first started. It was only scratchers, and the name of the store where it was purchased had to be stamped on the back. The only way to claim even a small prize was to take it back to that store or to mail it. A friend of my dad's gave me a few tickets bought about 25 miles from where we lived, so I'm not sure what we would have done.

I have a weird story from years ago. My dad gave me a lottery ticket where he wanted me to double check the results. I was in college so old enough to cash in a lottery ticket. He thought that it had won something, but he told me that he wanted it checked for results. So I brought it in, the clerk put it in the machine, and he gave me the winnings - about $140 since there were two lines that both had 4 of 6. The clerk said that once the machine had taken it and printed out a claim sheet, he had to pay it out on the spot. My dad wasn't happy about it. Back then they didn't have slips of winning numbers and the most common way to check the numbers was to see them in the newspaper.

 

[John VN]

I would sign it with DW's signature before mine.
Notify Lottery Commission.
Contact Suzy Orman

 

[Minnesota!]

My mom won a chunk of money last Christmas on a Wisconsin scratch off...she lives in MN. She mailed it and everything turned out A-OK I would be nervous-ish, but she wasn't. Hell, she just mailed my siblings and I a bunch of cash for Christmas. She is way more trusting than I am, ha!

 

[JimMIA]

If the only question you're interested in on this thread is whether you would mail a big winner ticket, my answer is a resounding NO.

After DW's recent experience with USPS and the other issues detailed in the USPS Tracking thread, I would not mail anything worth more than about $1!

 

[1GoldenSun]

Like a lot of people, I sometimes dream about what I'd do if I won the lottery big-time. But I don't buy lottery tickets, so the already low odds are pretty infinitesimal for me.

But if I did, I would never mail in the ticket. I'd probably drive there in person. That would be one happy road trip.

 

[mrodgers]

Like a lot of people, I sometimes dream about what I'd do if I won the lottery big-time. But I don't buy lottery tickets, so the already low odds are pretty infinitesimal for me.

But if I did, I would never mail in the ticket. I'd probably drive there in person. That would be one happy road trip.

A coworker actually maintains an excel file that he holds a list of people and the percentages he assigned to them where he often puts in the latest lottery jackpot to analyze how he is going to distribute to his family, friends, and neighbors. I think that takes the "dreaming" to another level, LOL.

No, I would not mail a winning lottery ticket in the mail same as other stuff.

 

[bcla]

I don't think that would do any good. As far as what I would do...

1) Get a safety deposit box and put it in there.
2) Find out (call the lottery office) if I should sign it. (I vaguely remember hearing about signing it to help prove providence).
3) Contact a lawyer and hire him for guidance.
4) Contact a financial advisor and hire him for guidance.

Listen to to what #3 & #4 tell me what to do. I'm sure part of the steps would include:
5) Setting address & phone numbers to unlisted.
6) Possibly getting new phone numbers for entire family

ETA: I would not just mail it in. If I absolutely could not deliver it myself, it would be handled by something with tracking and a LOT of insurance.

Just thinking about this with a story about a California SuperLotto jackpot that went unclaimed. A woman claims to have bought the ticket using a regular set of numbers that she plays every time. The clerk who sold the ticket knows she plays the numbers. Standard procedure is to check surveillance video, and the California Lottery verified that it was her buying the ticket. Only she says she put it in a washer and dryer and the print faded. I think they might have even verified that the serial numbers on the back correspond to roughly where the winning tickets should be. That was checked with a claimed winning ticket previously and found to correspond to a roll of paper used at another retailer.

The California Lottery said that taking a photo with all the info might have been enough if taken with the surveillance video.

https://abc7news.com/lottery-ticket...lion-winner-winning-superlotto-plus/10632434/​

Lottery officials say someone who believes he or she is a winner must complete a claim form. But if someone loses a ticket, they must provide evidence that they owned it, such as a photograph of the front and back of the ticket, the officials said.​

 

[AlohaNow]

Lottery officials say someone who believes he or she is a winner must complete a claim form. But if someone loses a ticket, they must provide evidence that they owned it, such as a photograph of the front and back of the ticket, the officials said.​

This part seems odd to me, as a lottery ticket is legally a 'bearer instrument'. Whoever comes bearing it claims the prize. You should always sign it! In my state one can claim anonymously through an LLC. I already have the very clever name of the LLC that I will establish in order to collect my winnings! And, I would never mail it in.