I sued the lottery for not paying out a $5.8 million jackpot – I ended up missing the money due to an important requirement
An unsuspecting man sued the lottery after being denied a $5.8 million payout for failing to meet a key requirement.
Connecticut Resident Clarence Jackson canceled the one-time exchange when he missed the deadline to redeem his multimillion-dollar winnings.
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Jackson bought a Quick Pick lottery Ticketed on October 13, 1996.
Unbeknownst to Jackson, a year later he discovered he was in possession of a $5.8 million gold ticket.
“We didn’t know until the night it expired, two hours before it expired,” Jackson said Good morning America in 2016.
“It was Sunday evening. We thought we should take it to lottery headquarters but Sunday evening headquarters are not open.”
Even more unlucky was Jackson, who said the following day was Columbus Day, a public holiday, so lottery headquarters would remain closed.
It wasn’t until Tuesday that Jackson was finally able to turn in the ticket, but at this point lotto Officials told him it was too late.
He was also unaware that he could request the ticket if he went to the store where he bought it before midnight.
After being denied a win, Jackson and his legal team filed a lawsuit against the Connecticut Lottery Corporation in October 1996.
In the lawsuit, Jackson claimed extenuating circumstances prevented him from claiming his ticket.
Jackson said the lottery ticket was with his father, who was hospitalized with emphysema.
“He was in the hospital most of the year [and] “He came home a week before the expiration date,” Jackson said.
Despite his best efforts, Jackson never received a dime.
A court sided with the Connecticut Lottery Corporation, arguing that Jackson violated the terms of the contract, which said winners had a full calendar year to receive their winnings.
Years later, Jackson told Good Morning America that he could see a glimmer of hope that he hadn’t become a multimillionaire more than 20 years ago.
“I have to say at the time I was too young and wasted all the money,” Jackson said.
“I lived a different lifestyle. I was trying to get into the music business back then, and I knew I was going to be dead or broke by now.”