Should lottery retailers have money on hand to pay winners with?

Reply #37

Steven948 — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 08:42:40 GMT

no retailer is obligated to cash any ticket. they have the right to refuse to cash even a dollar winner

Reply #36

spookysoozy — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 06:16:56 GMT

you could always call first.

I am fortunate in that I have a store owner who drives me to the bank and writes me a check there if it is a few grand or more. He looks after my safety and his and makes his money too.

Small towns are great if you can get to know the people.

Reply #35

guesser — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 05:11:48 GMT

Stop the presses !

The is the FIRST posting you have ever made that I agree with !

Now I can die a happy man.

Reply #34

MaddMike51 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 16:33:16 GMT

Rick G,thats good advice,but Iowa doesn't sell Mega Million tickets,which was the reason my wife went to Illinois in the first place.She just happened to buy a few scratch off tickets while she was there.

Reply #33

Rick G — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 15:35:32 GMT

MaddMike, I can understand your frustration. You don't have the same options as urban area players. The guy that told you to come back and still didn't pay you is an a#$h*le and shouldn't be allowed to sell lottery tickets much less manage a store or stock shelves. Find a good local retailer and stick to Iowa games.

Reply #32

mjwinsmith — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:48:56 GMT

MaddMike51

I think the answer is right here in front of you, after being told to come back later when the store was to have the cash, they should have had the cash, no if's and's or but's. That is where the problem is. That store and it's manager has a lot to learn about Customer Service . My advice to you is to take your lottery business elsewhere. But before you do, make this store and it's manager pay up as they promised to do.

Complain to the Lottery Headquarters, (fat chance they will... [ More ]

Reply #31

Tenaj — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 14:01:46 GMT

It's best to go to a major grocery store chain. I don't waste my time going to the other places.

Reply #30

time*treat — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:51:38 GMT

I wouldn't want to work at a 7/11 with everyone hanging around knowing I had the cash on hand to pay out $500 winners.

There's a lot of garbage in the world.

Reply #29

bashley572 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:49:42 GMT

Even if you have a spouse problem ...... hummmm....

Reply #28

Stack47 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 13:43:55 GMT

Most of the stores will cash tickets under $100 in Kentucky and give directions to cashing agents that are located in each county for higher value tickets. The cashing agents do all the paper work and the payoffs for winning tickets between $600 and $5000. It's sort like in Ohio where you go to the store where you bought the ticket, they validate it, and then go to an authorized bank to collect without the middleman.

Reply #27

BobP — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 06:47:04 GMT

Here in South Florida all the small towns (they insist on calling themselves cities) are back to back like one big rambling city. You wouldn't know where they begin or end if they didn't put signs up.

The supermarkets are always the best bet for cashing a lottery ticket.

Frankly I wouldn't want to be walking from the 7/11 to my car with everyone hanging around knowing I just cashed in a $500 winner.

Their wanting to pay with one of the money orders they sell should be fine for... [ More ]

Reply #26

MysteryMan424 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 04:27:17 GMT

Her in New York City and the outer boroughs they do incredible volume in lottery sales , there rarely is any problem cashing tickets. Heck I know a few stores that will cash ten $500 tickets at once. As for those small town stores that sell scratchers they should be required to have at least a couple of thousand on hand in the event someone hits so they can be paid out.

Reply #25

MaddMike51 — Sun, 08 Mar 2009 00:15:38 GMT

Apparently you never read my posts.This town DOES NOT HAVE A GROCERY STORE.It is a one horse town with three convenience stores.The NEAREST grocery store in Illinois is 50+ miles away.That is what I'm pissed about...being forced to drive 50 freaking miles to collect the money that was due to my wife

Reply #24

reddog — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:53:23 GMT

Try a grocery store that sells lottery tickets and does Western Union. That has always been my best bet.

Reply #23

larry3100 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:49:02 GMT

Here in the state of California lottery retailers pay up to $600.00 for scratchers.I remember a few years ago,in our state their was a scratch off game where you could win $50,000.It was like a two year period they were selling these bogus $50,000 tickets that they knew were already paid-out.It was a big hue and cry.I don't buy them anymore.

Reply #22

MaddMike51 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 23:45:09 GMT

I can tell by most of your answers that most of you live in urban areas.I live in a medium size town here in Iowa and can usually find someone to cash a lottery ticket.My complaint is with the state of Illinois,across the Mississippi river from my home.This IS NOT an urban area.The county has several small towns of 3-4,000 people.The nearest town of any size (in Illinois) that wouuld have a supermarket is 50 miles away.The nearest lottery office is in the state capital of Springfield which is a

Reply #21

konane — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:55:49 GMT

Try a liquor store or restaurant that sells lottery tickets.

And no in this economic climate I don't believe a store owner should be forced to keep money onhand to cash lottery tickets. Afterall they can be turned in a district offices or sent to the lottery for a check.

Reply #20

RJOh — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:48:01 GMT

Why traveling through Kentucky, I saw places that had signs that said we only cash lottery tickets bought here . While that is not true in Ohio, I usually try to cash my winning lottery tickets where I bought them, so if a store can't cash them or doesn't train its clerks how to verify the larger winners so I can cash them at a local authorized bank, I stop buying tickets there.

Reply #19

Guru101 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 22:34:04 GMT

I go to Kroger, KMart, or some other larger business when cashing big tickets.

Reply #18

PrisonerSix — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:31:38 GMT

It can be annoying, but most small stores don't keep large amounts of cash on hand for safety reasons. One thing I do with larger win tickets(the most I've ever won is $20 on a scratcher) is go to a nearby supermarket that sells lottery tickets. Those places turn over alot of cash, so they may have it.

Another option is to see if they'll give you a money order. Alot of local convenience stores sell money orders, and from what I understand, that is what they do if someone wants to cash a bi... [ More ]

Reply #17

truecritic — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 19:12:14 GMT

The manager, in most cases CAN open the safe. So it would be up to him whether to open it for a legitimate reason or a robbery.

I never stopped to think about it, but since the lottery says you can cash the smaller prizes at places that sell lottery tickets, then it should be a stipulation that if they are going to sell tickets, they have to have the cash.

Thinking back, I can say that 7-11 stores would never be able to handle that kind of payout ($500) on demand. The safe is on a time-lo... [ More ]

Reply #16

time*treat — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:27:30 GMT

What I don't understand is why the manager or the assistant doesn'topen the safe for a legitmate reason,such as paying a customer for awinning lottery ticket.

If they were known to be willing or able to open the safe for that reason, someone without a winning ticket might consider a gun-in-the-face also a legitimate reason for them opening it.

Reply #15

four4me — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 18:05:44 GMT

Lets use a little common sense here mom and pop stores probably don't even make 500 dollars a day. Farm stores and 7/11's have drop boxes when they get 200 to 400 dollars worth of twenty's in the register they put the money in a drop safe. Most mom and pop gas stations drop their money in a safe also.

Busy grocery stores on the other hand make 500 bucks or more every 15 minutes. Where would you go to cash a winning ticket to a mom and pop store that maybe makes 15 dollars and hour or a grocer... [ More ]

Reply #14

m5500 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 17:46:51 GMT

They've just written me a check when they don't have the money... what state are you all from, is that against the rules there

Reply #13

beaudad — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:49:03 GMT

I think that they would tell you over the phone that they don't have it!!!!!!! For the little stores it's easy to sell and they don't want to pay

Reply #12

MaddMike51 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:44:44 GMT

Here the problem with your solution TSC,a person should NOT have to make long distance calls to collect money owed on an instant ticket.The entire premise of an instant ticket is you win instantly and you get paid instantly.All of these convenience stores have the money on the premises,they just make drops into the safe when a certain amount of money is in the cash register.I understand that they make these drops for security reasons.What I don't understand is why the manager or the assistant do... [ More ]

Reply #11

MaddMike51 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:30:54 GMT

The retailer that sold her the ticket had just made a drop of the stores money into the floor safe and told her to come back at a certain time and they would pay her.We went back at the appointed time and were again told they had just made another drop and were very sorry that they forgot we were told to come back.The manager was in the store at the time but apparently was to busy loading beer into the cooler to be bothered with paying my wife.I really don't blame any of the other retailers for... [ More ]

Reply #10

ThatScaryChick — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 16:20:28 GMT

I can see how it's upsetting, but I agree diamondpalace, that next time you have to cash in a bigger prize, you should call ahead to see if they have money available. I think most stores don't keep that much cash on hand because of security issues. Also, I wonder how much money they would have to keep on hand and for how many winners? One winner, two, ten? That would be a lot of money to keep on the premise.

I haven't won anything as large as $500 yet, but maybe try a larger chain store. They... [ More ]

Reply #9

Like2Win — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 14:37:56 GMT

I agree that you should have enough cash to cover it. That has happened to me before and I know the retailer had enough cash, I think he didn't want to be bothered. He never had a problem with taking my money for the lottery. I stopped patronizing that store because of it.

Reply #8

beaudad — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:50:24 GMT

I had a lottery ticket it was worth 350......the place that sold it didn't have it and they told me to go to a grocery store chain store and they might cash it......................(however I agree..........If they sell it.........they should have it....If they said they paid it out.....then that's ok too........I would rather them say we had a winner.......instead of we don't have it try back latter..............( 600 ) at 601 and over it's to the lottery headquarters (regional) 20 miles away..... [ More ]

Reply #7

GamerMom — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 13:38:19 GMT

that's exactly what I was thinking. If they are required to have a certian amount of cash on hand then I would think they would be robbed more frequently

Reply #6

pumpi76 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 12:04:24 GMT

i think it will make easy targets [the retailers] for robbers...

there is already a lot of gas stations robbing...

Reply #5

jojosurf — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:55:31 GMT

yes i agree i have the same problem some retailer's will write you a check from the lottery fund tey are suppose to have/ I found out going to a super market chain strore that sells lottery always has the cash I do realize small stores in some areas don't keep cash because of robberies and that is ok with me happy for her win good kuck today

jojo

Reply #4

bashley572 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:50:32 GMT

I run into this ALL THE TIME!! Every gas station says the same thing, if its over $100.00 they don't have the money! One even tried to tell me they will pay me in the form of a money order????

Lucky for me the 'local' grocery store will cash it for up the $600.00. I won 2 days ago and they used up all the 20's and most of the 10's to pay me the $250.00.

I have tried to complain to NY Lottery but they only care about the retailers paying THEM not if the retailers pay us the players. I hav... [ More ]

Reply #3

Lucky Star — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 10:03:30 GMT

And, Yes. I think they should have enough to payout.

Reply #2

diamondpalace — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 08:00:47 GMT

Perhaps they ran out of money...or really didn't have enough to give. Before wasting time and gas running around, I would do google search for convinience stores near by, get their phone numbers and call in to ask if they have enough for a $500 payout, after having one store not having the available funds. The next step is to write to your state's lottery headquarter and express your thought on this matter. With this kind of feedback they will take into consideration to better future payouts to... [ More ]

Reply #1

SmoothJuice — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 07:22:18 GMT

MadMike51, it's a coincident that you write this today because I won $500 on today's midday Daily 3 and the store clerk didn't have money. I had to wait 5 hours and come back just to get my money. i was so upset.

Should lottery retailers have money on hand to pay winners with?

MaddMike51 — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:29:41 GMT

This morning my wife drove to Illinois to buy a MegaMillions ticket for tonights drawing.While she was there she picked up some scratch off tickets.She won $500 on one of the scratch off tickets.When she went back to Illinois to collect her money she was told that they didn't have enough cash on hand to pay her.She went to both of the other lottery retailers in this small town and was told the same thing.We ended up going to several other lottery retailers in 3 other small towns in the area with... [ More ]