Woman Cashes Lottery Ticket From 1992

Jan 20, 2006, 6:42 am (12 comments)

International

In a case of better late then never, an Australian woman has collected 100,000 Australian dollars (US$74,810) after cashing in a lottery ticket more than a decade after it was bought, an official said Friday.

The woman, who asked not to be identified, collected her winnings this week after discovering the ticket lodged in a greeting card she found in her home, a spokesman for New South Wales state Gaming Minister Grant McBride said on condition of anonymity he said was departmental policy.

The lottery ticket — known in Australia as a scratchy because gamblers have to scratch the ticket to see if they have won a prize — was bought in 1992.

The winner was doubly lucky as lottery officials are in the process of reining in the length of time people have to claim their winnings.

"Phased in over the next 10 years the government will be introducing a six-year time limit from which all prizes not claimed go straight back to New South Wales Lotteries for future prize winners," the spokesman said.

The largest unclaimed lottery prize in New South Wales is a A$3.3 million ($2,468,910) which has been gathering dust since 1997.

AP

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LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

wow if she would've been in the united states her time would've ran out a long long time back.she sure is lucky they don't have a time limit.

JAG331

What a nice surprise!  14 years later.

That's a lot of lost interest if she would've invested it.

qutgnt

Another reason why overseas lotteries blow away American lotteries, besides the taxes, over inflated annuitized jackpots, small payouts, lack of respect for the player, and now more than a year to collect prizes! I still would rather live here then anywhere!

powerplayer's avatarpowerplayer

Wow...nice win!!

She didn't loose interest. Actually it's good she won now. Think how quick it would been spent back in 1992.

The U.S dollor is worth more now. Interest rates are up for investment.

If she is smart she will invest it now pluse everything over the 14 years that she has invested or saved if she did on top of winnings.

Lucky S.O.B. Bang Head

 

She was a random lottery pick.......ROFL

st.germain's avatarst.germain

That is the way it should be here. If you win a ticket worth millions...why is it that the states want you to cash it in within a year? It's your money and your ticket. You should be able to cash  a winning ticket  whenever you feel ready to. Even if it is ten years later. Where is a lawyer when ya' need one....maybe we can change the way our money is disbursed in this country. I know it is big business with the states taking the cash from sales and trying to invest it so they can make a profit too...but if 75 million in sales where done and produced a ten million dollar winner...why is it that the payments are done over a period of 29 years unless you take the annuity for a lot less money?

st.germain's avatarst.germain

It's her money that bought the ticket and now her money ...now that she won. She should be able to do what ever she wants with it. It's called "choice".

Here in the states we should also be able to cash it in whenever we want (with interest).

Chewie

It's her money that bought the ticket and now her money ...now that she won. She should be able to do what ever she wants with it. It's called "choice".

Here in the states we should also be able to cash it in whenever we want (with interest).

Are you mistakingly thinking you should have rights, and the government should honor those rights?  What laws have you been reading?  Must be one that was written to benefit the rich.

Iesha Kelly

That is the way it should be here. If you win a ticket worth millions...why is it that the states want you to cash it in within a year? It's your money and your ticket. You should be able to cash  a winning ticket  whenever you feel ready to. Even if it is ten years later. Where is a lawyer when ya' need one....maybe we can change the way our money is disbursed in this country. I know it is big business with the states taking the cash from sales and trying to invest it so they can make a profit too...but if 75 million in sales where done and produced a ten million dollar winner...why is it that the payments are done over a period of 29 years unless you take the annuity for a lot less money?

actually, it's not your money. it's the lottery's money until you claim it.  if a person doesn't claim it in the time period specified by the law -- a time period anyone buying said ticket agrees to by playing the lottery in the first place -- no one owes the ticket holder a dime.

 

it's not earned money.  it's found money. it's won money.  gotta suck it up.

mcdonald's is not honoring that free big mac promotion from 1987 i won in a school contest.  i wouldn't expect them to.  likewise, i wouldn't expect the state to honor a claim after the expiration date for claiming; and no way from a lottery that's a decade and a half old.  but that's just me.

besides, if you don't claim it, the schools get it. since it's the schools getting it, and it's not lining some lottery officials pockets, that's fine by me (personally).  at least, here in the states, in most of the states which do have lotteries.  heck, here in new mexico, it's set up where a great number of high school kids can go to college for free because of the lottery.  how sweet is that. you don't even have to be valedictorian or captain of the team or whatever.

KyMystikal's avatarKyMystikal

That is the way it should be here. If you win a ticket worth millions...why is it that the states want you to cash it in within a year? It's your money and your ticket. You should be able to cash  a winning ticket  whenever you feel ready to. Even if it is ten years later. Where is a lawyer when ya' need one....maybe we can change the way our money is disbursed in this country. I know it is big business with the states taking the cash from sales and trying to invest it so they can make a profit too...but if 75 million in sales where done and produced a ten million dollar winner...why is it that the payments are done over a period of 29 years unless you take the annuity for a lot less money?

actually, it's not your money. it's the lottery's money until you claim it.  if a person doesn't claim it in the time period specified by the law -- a time period anyone buying said ticket agrees to by playing the lottery in the first place -- no one owes the ticket holder a dime.

 

it's not earned money.  it's found money. it's won money.  gotta suck it up.

mcdonald's is not honoring that free big mac promotion from 1987 i won in a school contest.  i wouldn't expect them to.  likewise, i wouldn't expect the state to honor a claim after the expiration date for claiming; and no way from a lottery that's a decade and a half old.  but that's just me.

besides, if you don't claim it, the schools get it. since it's the schools getting it, and it's not lining some lottery officials pockets, that's fine by me (personally).  at least, here in the states, in most of the states which do have lotteries.  heck, here in new mexico, it's set up where a great number of high school kids can go to college for free because of the lottery.  how sweet is that. you don't even have to be valedictorian or captain of the team or whatever.

Yes, but the lotteries could use a reasonable time limit. To me 365 days is reasonable. 180 days is what a lot of states use. What if you were from California and went to visit family in FL for a yearly Christmas trip and while there you played the Cash 3 for a week and won. Is it reasonable for one to travel all that way for a ticket anywhere from $40-$500? I could see the trip if one won the fantasy 5, mega money, lotto, or even the cash 4 if hit straight and besides if the lotto and mega money aren't claimed within 60 days you lose the cash option choice.

jim695

From the article

"...a spokesman for New South Wales state Gaming Minister Grant McBride said on condition of anonymity..."

______________________________________________________________________________________

Can I quote you on that???

So much for anonymity. Unless, of course, Minister McB has an army of spokemen...

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

What a nice surprise!  14 years later.

That's a lot of lost interest if she would've invested it.

That was the first thought that popped into my head too - not only interest, but housing. 10 years ago it was possible to purchase a home where I live for $90,000.  That same home is now over $300,000.  I'm sure the market in Australia has grown too.

I also agree with Iesha that it's not the purchaser's money until it's claimed. I was thinking about that as I just threw away some expired coupons!  I always have these buy one/get one free deals, but I can't possibly wolf down 3 pizzas or 2 burgers in one night. Guess I need to find more friends,  because Dominos won't let me purchase those 5-5-5 pizzas one at a time and Burger King is not going to let me come back for that free Double Whopper.  Rule are rules.  If you don't like them, you don't play.

justxploring's avatarjustxploring

"mcdonald's is not honoring that free big mac promotion from 1987 i won in a school contest.  i wouldn't expect them to.  likewise, i wouldn't expect the state to honor a claim after the expiration date for claiming; and no way from a lottery that's a decade and a half old.  but that's just me."

I'm laughing because Iesha's post is on the first page, and I couldn't remember exactly what everyone wrote. (hey, these days I'm lucky if I can find my car when I leave the supermarket.)  So I coincidentally brought up Burger King.  Suddenly I started to laugh and thought "When I win those millions, I think I'll pick a better choice of restaurants!  LOL 

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