A Washington & Lee University business professor alleges that the Virginia Lottery has cheated players by misrepresenting the amount of prize money available for scratch-off games. From the AP article:
Scott Hoover contends that the lottery has not ordered retailers to pull shipments of tickets from Scratcher games after the top prizes have been awarded, meaning players are buying tickets with no chance of winning the largest prize promised on the ticket.
A lawyer representing Hoover, John Fishwick, on Monday filed a notice of a claim with the Lottery seeking refunds of $84.7 million to those who purchased an estimated 26.5 million tickets over the past five years. Fishwick said a lawsuit alleging breach of contract could be filed soon.
“The state has profited to that effect,” said Devon Munro, Fishwick’s associate.
Lottery spokesman John Hagerty said officials had not seen the notice from Hoover and his attorneys, but that the Lottery stands by its games.
“We have worked hard over the past 20 years to successfully build a reputation for integrity in the way our games are presented,” he said in a statement.
