Man's claim to lottery jackpot goes down drain
Bits of the winning tickets Sun found in his pocket.
A local lottery player who claims he hit a 6.44 million yuan (US$963,600) jackpot, but accidentally put the winning ticket through the wash, is not eligible to claim the prize.
The man, surnamed Sun, 33, said he spent eight yuan buying a ticket in a shop on 869 Qinghu Road E. in Qingpu District at 7:21pm on June 19. After returning home, he accidentally washed the ticket in a pair of trousers.
By the time Sun learned the winning lottery numbers, the ticket had already been virtually destroyed in the washing machine, according to Xinmin Evening News.
Information from the official WeChat account of the Shanghai Welfare Lottery Center matched Sun’s claims, namely that the first prize went to a local buyer who paid eight yuan for a ticket at 869 Qinghu Road E.
Sun told the newspaper he could remember details of buying the ticket, and that he paid the shop through Alipay. “The welfare lottery center can check details to confirm that I am the winner... it’s like a sales contract has been formed between us,” he added.
But the center said Sun is not eligible for the payout as the ticket is now illegible.
According to lottery management rules, lottery winners are required to present clear and visible tickets to claim prizes.
If the prize is unclaimed after 60 days, the government will add it to its welfare fund.
