Marquette, MI United States
Member #20,540
August 20, 2005
1,220 Posts
Offline
I see a $1,000,000 Mega Millions ticket expired today without being collected but I am wondering about something else.
I found a $30 game #790 $4,000,000 MegaBucks scratcher and the ticket expired February 4th 2019 However the game is still listed on the official state website as being available at about 75 or 76 stores!
If the game did expire Feb 4th then why is the MSL still advertising it? Only one top prize was ever claimed from it.
Do different runs of the games (#790) have different expiration dates? Is this how you tell if the prize has been claimed from that run of tickets?
If the 75 or 76 stores really do have fresh tickets is this the MSLs way of distributing big winners to the areas that they want the big winners in?
What happens if the MSL knows they are advertising expired tickets and that several stores are still selling them?
Will the 2 remaining big prizes be paid? What really is going on/ Fresh tickets or expired game?
Anyone have any info?
I could Email the MSL but they have not been very helpful as they have been steadily going down hill since about 2013.
United States
Member #131,588
August 14, 2012
319 Posts
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Quote: Originally posted by Think on Mar 4, 2019
I see a $1,000,000 Mega Millions ticket expired today without being collected but I am wondering about something else.
I found a $30 game #790 $4,000,000 MegaBucks scratcher and the ticket expired February 4th 2019 However the game is still listed on the official state website as being available at about 75 or 76 stores!
If the game did expire Feb 4th then why is the MSL still advertising it? Only one top prize was ever claimed from it.
Do different runs of the games (#790) have different expiration dates? Is this how you tell if the prize has been claimed from that run of tickets?
If the 75 or 76 stores really do have fresh tickets is this the MSLs way of distributing big winners to the areas that they want the big winners in?
What happens if the MSL knows they are advertising expired tickets and that several stores are still selling them?
Will the 2 remaining big prizes be paid? What really is going on/ Fresh tickets or expired game?
Anyone have any info?
I could Email the MSL but they have not been very helpful as they have been steadily going down hill since about 2013.
United States
Member #121,739
January 16, 2012
8,843 Posts
Offline
Quote: Originally posted by Think on Mar 4, 2019
I see a $1,000,000 Mega Millions ticket expired today without being collected but I am wondering about something else.
I found a $30 game #790 $4,000,000 MegaBucks scratcher and the ticket expired February 4th 2019 However the game is still listed on the official state website as being available at about 75 or 76 stores!
If the game did expire Feb 4th then why is the MSL still advertising it? Only one top prize was ever claimed from it.
Do different runs of the games (#790) have different expiration dates? Is this how you tell if the prize has been claimed from that run of tickets?
If the 75 or 76 stores really do have fresh tickets is this the MSLs way of distributing big winners to the areas that they want the big winners in?
What happens if the MSL knows they are advertising expired tickets and that several stores are still selling them?
Will the 2 remaining big prizes be paid? What really is going on/ Fresh tickets or expired game?
Anyone have any info?
I could Email the MSL but they have not been very helpful as they have been steadily going down hill since about 2013.
I'd contact the state lottery and tell them how deceptive it is to list games/ scratchers that have expired. So you should be allowed to cash it in if even 1 store is still selling that game.
This adds to my long list of why I do not buy scratchers.
Marquette, MI United States
Member #20,540
August 20, 2005
1,220 Posts
Offline
Quote: Originally posted by Artist77 on Mar 6, 2019
I'd contact the state lottery and tell them how deceptive it is to list games/ scratchers that have expired. So you should be allowed to cash it in if even 1 store is still selling that game.
This adds to my long list of why I do not buy scratchers.
Well Artist, there could be another run of tickets with different expiration dates. I don't know.
I believe the Michigan lottery farmed out their help a few years ago and they have been pretty much worthless since then.
Okemos, MI United States
Member #196,506
March 8, 2019
2 Posts
Offline
For the instant tickets and when you can claim the prizes, look for the line in bold that says "Prizes must be claimed by ......". Looking at the ticket, it looks like it had another offer with the ticket. These additional offers on tickets (for free play, 2nd chance drawins, etc.) often expire before the tickets themselves do. I'm wondering if you were reading the wrong date.
Marquette, MI United States
Member #20,540
August 20, 2005
1,220 Posts
Offline
Quote: Originally posted by mathwhiz on Mar 8, 2019
For the instant tickets and when you can claim the prizes, look for the line in bold that says "Prizes must be claimed by ......". Looking at the ticket, it looks like it had another offer with the ticket. These additional offers on tickets (for free play, 2nd chance drawins, etc.) often expire before the tickets themselves do. I'm wondering if you were reading the wrong date.
Mathwhiz instead of trying to throw shade please read the back of the actual ticket I am talking about! Thanks.
I have found numerous problems on the new Michigan lottery website including -
Prizes listed as being sold in cities 25 miles away from the actual city they were sold in
Tickets listed as being available at local vendors that were pulled weeks ago and are Not actually being currently sold
Wrong games linked to when you click on the link listed in "Big Winners" Most recently there was a $50,000 crazy eights prize listed but when I clicked on the link it took me to a rip ticket game that only had a $6,000 top prize.
Games that have expired being listed on the website over a month after they have expired.
Not to mention the useless customer care reps who are more interested in closing out their service tickets than they are about being helpful.
I could list all the mistakes and crappy service I have encountered but you get the idea.
The Michigan Lottery has gone way down hill since 2013 and the new website is really atrocious!
Fresno, California United States
Member #157,849
August 2, 2014
3,959 Posts
Offline
Quote: Originally posted by Think on Mar 11, 2019
Mathwhiz instead of trying to throw shade please read the back of the actual ticket I am talking about! Thanks.
I have found numerous problems on the new Michigan lottery website including -
Prizes listed as being sold in cities 25 miles away from the actual city they were sold in
Tickets listed as being available at local vendors that were pulled weeks ago and are Not actually being currently sold
Wrong games linked to when you click on the link listed in "Big Winners" Most recently there was a $50,000 crazy eights prize listed but when I clicked on the link it took me to a rip ticket game that only had a $6,000 top prize.
Games that have expired being listed on the website over a month after they have expired.
Not to mention the useless customer care reps who are more interested in closing out their service tickets than they are about being helpful.
I could list all the mistakes and crappy service I have encountered but you get the idea.
The Michigan Lottery has gone way down hill since 2013 and the new website is really atrocious!
Think, Your words are probably not falling upon deaf ears. The Michigan Lottery and others read Lottery Post. music*
The game expired February 4, 2019, you still have until February 4, 2020 to claim any prize.
G
Gary, I don't know why people need to comment when they don't read the actual ticket and don't know what they are talking about!
On the backs of Michigan scratchers, in BIG BLOCK LETTERS they say "PRIZES MUST BE CLAIMED BY" followed by the date in big block letters.
I would try contacting the MSL themselves but, in the recent past (2013 and onward), they have provided no answers or totally worthless non-answers.
As of today the ticket is still listed on the MSL website even though the ticket has gone by its "claim by date" clearly printed on the back of the ticket.
United States
Member #131,588
August 14, 2012
319 Posts
Offline
Quote: Originally posted by Think on Mar 4, 2019
I see a $1,000,000 Mega Millions ticket expired today without being collected but I am wondering about something else.
I found a $30 game #790 $4,000,000 MegaBucks scratcher and the ticket expired February 4th 2019 However the game is still listed on the official state website as being available at about 75 or 76 stores!
If the game did expire Feb 4th then why is the MSL still advertising it? Only one top prize was ever claimed from it.
Do different runs of the games (#790) have different expiration dates? Is this how you tell if the prize has been claimed from that run of tickets?
If the 75 or 76 stores really do have fresh tickets is this the MSLs way of distributing big winners to the areas that they want the big winners in?
What happens if the MSL knows they are advertising expired tickets and that several stores are still selling them?
Will the 2 remaining big prizes be paid? What really is going on/ Fresh tickets or expired game?
Anyone have any info?
I could Email the MSL but they have not been very helpful as they have been steadily going down hill since about 2013.
I called the Michigan Lottery today. They say you are absolutely correct —the game has expired and the prizes needed to be claimed by 2/4/2019. They said that the game should have been removed from their website and that it was an error on the part of their website contractor. They said they did not know it was still being advertised.
They said the game will be removed from the website ASAP.
The MSL said the game was NOT still being sold. They said that the game was not really available at any retailers and was showing where the game was last available when you clicked on the FIND A RETAILER button. When the game is removed from the website it also automatically removes the retailer info.
If you purchased the ticket after it expired you should call them and let them know where.
They were very apologetic and at least sounded very grateful that the error was pointed out to them.
So, good catch! When your 176 inches of snow melt and you can get out to the store again you should treat yourself!
Texas United States
Member #4,549
May 2, 2004
4,228 Posts
Offline
Quote: Originally posted by LottoLucy on Mar 13, 2019
I called the Michigan Lottery today. They say you are absolutely correct —the game has expired and the prizes needed to be claimed by 2/4/2019. They said that the game should have been removed from their website and that it was an error on the part of their website contractor. They said they did not know it was still being advertised.
They said the game will be removed from the website ASAP.
The MSL said the game was NOT still being sold. They said that the game was not really available at any retailers and was showing where the game was last available when you clicked on the FIND A RETAILER button. When the game is removed from the website it also automatically removes the retailer info.
If you purchased the ticket after it expired you should call them and let them know where.
They were very apologetic and at least sounded very grateful that the error was pointed out to them.
So, good catch! When your 176 inches of snow melt and you can get out to the store again you should treat yourself!
You should rename yourself The INCREDIBLE Lucy!
G
I'm probably here unless I'm not.
Dreaming would be a perfectly useless function if it's only purpose was to entertain.