We won $1k on lotto but took home $0 - state loophole was 'downright sneaky' (2024)

A LOTTERY winner said she was left confused and angry after she was unable to take home her prize.

Kathleen Lambert said her $1,000 lotto winnings were withheld by a state department.

Lambert said she received the shock news after she visited the Florida Lottery office in Gainsville.

She shared that she and her husband won $1,000 from a scratch card they had played.

"Talk about a thrill," she told Fox affiliate WOFL.

"I was so excited, laughing and showing everybody, but that was very short-lived when we drove an hour and a half to the Gainesville lottery office waiting for that nice check.

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“And my jaw dropped."

Lambert was handed a letter from FloridaCommerce which stated her lottery win would be withheld due to money her husband owed.

The department said he owed $1,200 had come from unemployment benefit overpayments made during the pandemic.

The lottery player argued she and her husband had supposedly not been made aware of this amount.

Lambert said the couple had previously received a letter that said they owed $275 in overpayments.

The wife reportedly showed WOFL a check that proved the couple had paid back this amount.

Lambert said she was left angered by the situation.

"I think it’s downright sneaky," she said.

"It’s undermining to lottery winners.

“It’s like, we don’t owe you any money, you overpaid, you waived it you said, but then if you win the lottery you don’t get anything.”

The lottery player said she had planned to spend her winnings on a family trip to Disney World.

“I know it costs more than $1,000 but that would have helped a lot,” she said

“So, to my surprise, there was no Disney World.

FloridaCommerce told WOFL that it was looking into the case.

LOTTO WOES

Lambert has not been the only lottery player to have her winning withheld in similar cases, The U.S. Sun has previously reported.

Brittany Wilson said she was initially stopped from taking home her $5,000 prize.

Wilson, from Florida, said state officials handed her a paper that said the money would be withheld due to overpaid unemployment benefits.

She also claimed she had not previously received a letter or warning from the state over this money.

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Wilson confirmed that the issue was resolved several weeks later.

The U.S. Sun has reached out to FloridaCommerce for comment.

Topics

• Lotto
• Money US
• US Lottery
• Florida