The Canadian media has done stories about how people playing the lottery in both Canada and the United States were cheated out of their winnings. There is one simple way to ensure NOT to lose the big lottery win. The solution is put your name and contact information on your ticket soon after purchasing it.

For serious or weekly players, consider getting a stamp made to stamp your name and contact information on your ticket.

Another thing to note is the date, time, and location where you purchase your tickets. Showing up at a lottery prize office and not knowing where you purchased the ticket may cause some problems or delays. This could possibly cause doubt of ownership.

Showing up at a lottery office with a major jackpot winning ticket will subject the winner to many questions. For example, if you were to say you and your spouse buy tickets every week and you show up alone, they will not make payment until your spouse shows up with you (based on an actual case).

If you are playing with a lottery group, make sure all group members have a copy of all group tickets prior to the draw taking place.

• Know where you got your ticket(s). Sounds simple but not knowing could cost you that BIG lottery win.
• Know the retailer and retailer # where you got the ticket. Terminal printed tickets show the retailer number printed on the ticket. Get your retailer to show you their number printed on the ticket. Getting 2 separate printed tickets will have the same retailer number on them.
• If purchasing terminal tickets, ask the clerk to zero the machine first - so it has a zero balance showing.
  • get the retailer to print out your tickets
  • then ask for a PRINT SALES TOTAL
  • In Ontario after the last ticket purchased, have the clerk touch the total on the top right corner of the screen (dollar amount).
    A new popup window will show up and the bottom center section is PRINT SALES TOTAL. Have them hit this. The print out will show which lotteries were played and will show you a total of tickets printed (purchased). This will also give you the terminal time when the tickets were purchased, along with the retailer number. The retailer does not pay for the paper and this is a FREE service. If they do not want to do this, find one that will.
    
    Just imagine the look of the lottery clerk official when you give them a time window of maybe 10 to 30 seconds for your ticket's official recorded terminal time, which they have in their records. Bells and whistles will go off at the lottery office if you give them this information.
    
    Let them freak out for a few minutes. Before they accuse you of inside information and you see them bringing out the handcuffs, show them the print out you received when you bought your tickets. Tell them you have some serious partying to do, and you want your money NOW.
    
    
• Scratch tickets do not have the retailer number printed on them. In Ontario, retailers get scratch tickets in shrunk-wrapped batches. If these tickets are stolen before the batch is activated, they will not show up as winning tickets if scanned. They may even show up as stolen, resulting in the ticket holder being taken into custody. If you bought a few tickets from different retailers, keep them separate. Lottery officials know the store that sold them. If you say you bought it at another store, good luck getting your money.
• For scratch tickets know the date and time of ticket(s) purchase. Purchase from retailers that can issue a cash register receipt with time, date, and retailer name imprinted on it. If your retailer won't do this, find one that will.
  
  
  Winning BIG on the lottery is GREAT ~ If you actually get the money in the bank!