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Jan 30, 2008, 8:42 am (10 comments)
Starting this week, retailers are not allowed to validate Ontario lottery tickets unless customers sign them on the front.
Players are also asked to sign the back of Instant Win tickets until a new signature box is added to the front in the coming months.
The signature requirement is the second new measure added by the Ontario Lottery Corp. in as many weeks to improve security.
New musical chimes and voice alerts took effect Jan. 22 at all lottery terminals to help inform players of the status of their ticket.
If a lottery ticket is a winner, a special chime plays, followed by a voice telling the customer they've won.
If the customer isn't entitled to prize, a short little chime will play, followed by a voice saying "no prize."
CP
Good.
More security measures are needed. 
I hope we incorporate them here in the states too.
Ontario is a very unsophisticated over-socialized politically-correct governed provincial state. It is filled with individuals who seem to be ignornat when cashing or checking a lottery ticket, but oh so brilliant as to when they buy one. They seem 'not to know what to do' after they buy a lottery ticket! Did I say unsophisticated?
People here want 'all forms of government' to hold their hand when they check their ticket, but not when they buy it!!! Talk about a controversy! [OH, OH, I can see a whole new set of buying rules for the mules out there]. I know what I am talking about because I live in this mess. I have been buying my tickets at the same corner store for the past 10 years, so I thought I'd ask the big 'Q' the other day about my missing 'signature' from a small - 6/49 win, I was casually told, 'Its OK [name witheld] we know who you are'. So, there you have it. I do not ask any clerk to check my tickets, never have, never will. He only checks to pay me the win amount, which I know I won. That way I check him, the OLGC equipment dosen't check me.
BTW>>>the store has all the latest OLGC technology and gadgetry the provincial government can muster and employ to inform for 'ticket checking', a big screen at eye-level turned toward the customer- he can't possibly miss it, [10"x12"-flashing color] the 'new' charming sounds of voice and music to alert the dummy of a win or no win, a customer use counter top scanner with its own screen set for any lottery ticket including 'scratch-offs the OLGC has with bar codes-so a 'sophisticated lottery player' can actually check his own ticket[s] himself BEFORE presentation to the clerk to check it again for payment of a win, and a metal garbage can for the losing tickets...and its full.
I really look forward to much more unsophisticated technology such as a 'big flashing RED light' and a 'lockdown' of the storefront doors for the real idiots who can't seem to understand they won some money on their ticket, so please don't go away without your winnings. The OLGC wants to pay you out, fool.
Another BTW>>>when you do win 50000$ or more the OLGC want to see you in person with your ID, either in Toronto or some northern village. Under that amount you have to fill out a very factual LEGAL size form [8.5"x14"] sanctioned by the OLGC, photocopy your signatured ticket-both sides, and stick a 55cent stamp on it, or courrier it or use registered mail to them. OH, dummy, don't forget to send the original ticket...OHHH, you don't know the difference....GGEEEEZZZZZZZZZZZZ, where is this going....we may have the whole Lottery thing taken away from us because of this action alone.
......and yet another BTW>>>the Province of Quebec, where I also play their lottery games, has no such thing as signing your lottery ticket for 'checking' purposes. It would seem that Quebecers are much more sophisticated than Ontarioans.
All the best to all of us who have future wins, anywhere.
yt
dx123
I totally agree!
I am glad they are finally taking some action against all this fraud that is going on with sales clerks in Canada.
soooo.....if the clerk tells the ticket holder that the ticket was a non winner and no need to sign it...
lol now the lieing stealing store clerk can add a forgery charge for taking someones winning ticket. I love it.
This is great. This week I drove over the border to SC from GA to play the powerball. When I had my tickets double checked, it showed up on the register if I was a winner or not and the amount. I thought that was GREAT, since I have not seen that feature in GA.
chasingadream et al...>>> NO. You and others still don't understand it. Perhaps this will help clear it up for you.
The 'moron' who has a winning ticket here in Ontario [moron-probably 25% of society by the way] NOW has all the bells and whisltes for him to be alerted to a win on his ticket signed or unsigned. Whether he is picking his nose at the time the clerk is checking his ticket or looking at the cigarette rack or chocolate bars types he now has the great noise of the government eyes, ears, nose and mouth and TV technology at his command. He does not have to PAY ATTENTION or be responsible for his dumb-witted actions anymore. He therefore does not have to do anything when he hands his lottery stub to a clerk whether to know if he is a winner or not...you see this is what I said earlier, he doesn't know what to do with his ticket, so he is TOLD what to do. He has to be told over and over again. A very sick society indeed.
If you don't understand this small bit of social manueavering by the 'G-men' then we all are in trouble for our future wins in any lottery. I don't want to see this action of government 'ticket checking or signing' intervention, its enough that they put the whole lottery on in the first place. And here we have idiots who purchase tickets and don't know HOW to handle their acquisition of a ticket, whether its a winner or not. I for one do not want to be sujected to their idiocy. As individiuals, I and others are way beyond them.
You see here in Ontario the public 'minority' lead the majority. Yes, you read that correctly. A different state of mind than in America....its not democray here as you Americans know what democracy is, here in Canada its a form of democratic-socialism! [I told you - its a real social thing for ALL to be equal to the lowest common denominator in society]. So now any idiot-moron that buys any lottery ticket type and does not understand the process of 'checking a ticket' has dealt a death-blow to those that do. So ALL of Ontario lottery buyers have to pay the price of over governmental works of checking a simple lottery ticket, a very, very simple uncomplicated process of everyday life we all do has now been charged with a so called idiot-proof method of signature complete with flashing lights and music. Geeeee, I trust the moron is awake for all this machine noise made especially for him.
This kind of intervention is dangerous to all and has turned the knowledged Lottery indivividual into the same class as the moron. As I said, the minority rule over here in Ontario and the whole of Canada for that matter. A sensless thing gone moronic to maintain a 'politically-correct' society of events no matter what event. It used to be OK and manageable and complete fun, until social issues overtook the mentality of the few.
BTW>>>if the moron still dosen't get it-he can NOW 'SUE' the store-clerk and government simply because he is so stupid for his non-action of not-knowing the rules of the game nor know the difference either. Hell, he will probably make more on the 'sue'. It is very expensive to live over here, because of insane lawsuits with lawyers processing stuff like this every day. I certainly don't want this to happen in America, land of the free, home of the brave...Canada has no motto to save its face.
BTW>>>the other issue is the one of the 'store-clerks' themselves and applies to both our countries.
You see once a 'corner-store' applies for a licence to sell OLGC lottery tickets here in Ontario, they somehow are represented as provincial/state government workers, selling and checking on 'truth alone'! This action, or seemingly an act of good-will towards any customer that buys a lottery ticket from them is in all reality a government worker so he can therefore do no wrong...says the moron. This is WHY, the provincial governmant has all the bells and whistles in place now in all the stores and kiosks that sell lottery tickets....simply to alert a moron that he is not getting what he deserves.
This government intervetion has now classified all lottery players as morons...get it?
yt
dx123
Hmmm.....I wonder when we will first hear about some Ontario ticket seller recording the non-winning sounds and playing them back with each unsigned ticket and then making it look like they are throwing the ticket away only to scoop it up after the sucker leaves.
Ditto for faking the flashing lights or claiming the display is broken if they cant figure out how to fake them.
I wonder if these people just pull money out of their wallets without looking and expect the correct change back for whatever it was they just happened to hand the clerk when they bought the ticket.
yes, some people do not pay attention to what they are giving the clerks or the change they receive. I caught the same clerk cheat me three times. It was usually in the morning rush hours, when people are less likely to sit there and check their change for the correct amount so they can hurry up and get to where they are going. But I have a habit of carrying big bills, so I have learned to count my change. She wasn't even trying to give me the correct change. She would give me a few small bills and random change to make it look good and expected that I never checked the amounts to what I gave her. She was even worse with teenagers and kids that came in there. She tried cheating my daughters way too many times to count. I know the management had to know she was doing it. When I complained, she had no reservations of giving my money back and kept it as quiet as possible., but sometimes the management was standing right there. I just quit going to that store. But the last time I HAD to stop in there, she was still working there. She must be able to get quite a bit of money from people to keep doing it, don't you think?
Guys:
This winner notification technology has been around for 20 years (the tunes that play any time a winner is validated) - plus most lottery terminals (at least the 65% of US market share that come from GTECH) immediately begin printing a cash receipt any time they validate a winner. Personally, I don't like the idea of a "longer" tune (with a voice) when you win and a "shorter" tune when you don't win - stores are generally crowded and noisy and the short tune is just as likely to confuse someone. Silence is a great way of shouting "not a winner".
The previous poster has some great points. I think its important for there to be tools available but ultimately, we all ned to demonstrate some minimal level of personal responsibility.
Not to change topics - but its kind of like the people who can't fill out a ballot. Give that same ballot to a bunch of 8 year-olds (an experiment that was tried all over the place) and they have absolutely no problem with it.