Apparent winning ticket doesn’t pay out
Atlantic Lottery explains that combination isn’t currently available
Terry Chickness thought he had a winning lotto ticket on Feb. 1, but has had rotten luck trying to get the cash he feels he’s owed.
Chickness, who lives in New Glasgow, has been playing lottery games since the Atlantic Lottery started in Nova Scotia, so is familiar with how most of the tickets work.
The Lotto 4 ticket is newer and one that he heard had good odds of paying out.
He used a variation of an old employee number of his to choose which numbers he wanted for the ticket and was thrilled when he saw that he had the first three numbers correct — and in order. He saw that there was a part on the ticket that read Front Three and indicated that the Prize Per $1 bet was $500. Another section says Any Order 3 and indicates a prize of $400.
But when he went back to the convenience store to collect his winnings, the machine indicated that he hadn’t won anything.
“That can’t be right,” he thought and talked with the employee about it.
He then called the Atlantic Lottery customer service number to see what it was. He was told that the Front Three, Back Three and Combo are options that aren’t currently available on the ticket.
What Chickness can’t understand is why they would put it on the printout if it’s not something that people can play.
“They’re deceiving the public,” he said. “That’s why I feel ripped off.”
The News forwarded pictures of Chickness’s tickets to Natalie Belliveau, senior communications counsel for the Atlantic Lottery Corporation who looked into the matter.
“It’s a case of misreading a ticket,” she said.
She said the options of Front Three, Back Three and Combo aren’t currently being played, but if they were they would be similar to TAG where you have to add it on.
“They may be at a later date. They would have been a separate wager. It’s a new game so people are still learning.”
She said she did not know the logistical reason for why they would have the wager options printed on the winning numbers slip when they aren’t currently available, but said the complete rules are explained on line.
“We’ve let our retailers know about how the game is played. It’s a game with more rules. There are different ways to play and different ways to bet.”
Chickness still feels that it was false advertising.
“I feel like they’re ripping me off and they’re also ripping off anybody else that had this before and went out and threw their ticket away. Anybody out there that has a ticket that can show them three numbers front or back, should get $500.”