CURRENT NEWS

STATEMENT BY THE FLORIDA LOTTERY REGARDING POSSIBLE MISPRINT OF GOLD RUSH TICKET

TALLAHASSEE -- On Monday, May 14, the Florida Lottery learned of a possible printing error on a Florida Lottery GOLD RUSH Scratch-Off ticket. The Florida Lottery is investigating the circumstances of the apparent misprint; however, without possession of the original ticket in question, the Lottery's investigation is limited. While preliminary analysis of a photocopy of the ticket seems to indicate that it is a non-winning ticket, a final determination cannot be reached until the player submits a formal claim along with the original ticket.

To safeguard the integrity of Florida Lottery games and to ensure that all valid claims are paid, the Lottery subscribes to standard procedures that must be followed by all persons claiming a prize. These procedures are in place to benefit and protect all of our customers.

Last year alone, the Lottery's instant ticket vendor, Scientific Games, printed well over 500 million Florida Lottery Scratch-Off tickets. While the very nature of any mechanical printing process can never guarantee one hundred percent accuracy - whether you are speaking of newspapers or currency - similar incidents are extremely rare. However, in anticipation of these rare occurrences, the Lottery and its vendor have adopted redundant validation methods to properly identify winning tickets and avoid misprints. In an abundance of caution, the Lottery has also undertaken an immediate and comprehensive review to ensure the continued integrity of our games and confidence of the playing public.

We are extremely proud of our record of paying every valid claim for all winning tickets the Lottery has produced in its 19-year history. In fact, the very foundation of the Lottery's ability to raise funds for education rests solely on the trust our players have in playing our games. To ensure fairness and equity for all players, the Lottery must ensure that the established rules are followed and that prizes are paid only on legitimate winning tickets. That trust is based on two principles: first, that all lottery profits go to education; and, second, that all prize claims are paid for every valid winning ticket.

# # #