Nov 01, 2016 Casino Denies NY Woman $42 Million Jackpot After Slot Machine Malfunctions New York resident Katrina Bookman calls foul after a local casino refused to cash her winning ticket. Nov 09, 2015 $8.5 Million Dollar Casino Payout a 'mistake'. Post by Shooby on Nov 8, 2015 9:51:47 GMT -5. For five minutes, she was a multi-millionaire! Veronica Castillo, from Portland, Oregon thought she had struck it lucky after hitting an $8 million jackpot.
American Pickers Million Dollar Mistake
A New Hampshire woman who bought a Powerball ticket worth $560 million last month is fighting to remain anonymous, saying in a lawsuit that releasing her name would 'constitute a significant invasion of her privacy.'
The woman filed suit against the New Hampshire Lottery Commission under the pseudonym Jane Doe. She says she made a 'huge mistake' when she signed her real name on the back of the ticket before contacting a lawyer, who told her she could have remained anonymous had she established a trust and then had a trustee sign the ticket.
The lawsuit, filed last week, describes the woman as an 'engaged community member.'
'She wishes to continue this work and the freedom to walk into a grocery store or attend public events without being known or targeted as the winner of a half-billion dollars,' the complaint said. It adds that she plans on remaining in New Hampshire and giving back 'to the state and community that has given so much to her.'
The woman is represented by law firm Shaheen and Gordon. William Shaheen wrote a blogpost Jan. 8, two days after the drawing, that highlights the difficulties the lawsuit might face.
“Don’t sign that back of the ticket because if you sign it you lost confidentiality,” he says. “It becomes public, and you lost the option of staying anonymous.”
The woman has not yet claimed the prize, and the lawsuit says the fight for her anonymity is costing her a fortune in interest.
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The New Hampshire Lottery, however, is standing firm.
“The New Hampshire Lottery understands that winning a $560 million Powerball jackpot is a life-changing occurrence,' Charlie McIntyre, the lottery's executive director, said in a statement. 'Having awarded numerous Powerball jackpots over the years, we also understand that the procedures in place for prize claimants are critically important for the security and integrity of the lottery, our players and our games.'
McIntyre said he understands the winner's desire to keep her name out of the media. But he said the state attorney general's office has advised him that 'the lottery must proceed in accordance its rules and by state law in processing this claim like any other.”
Jane Doe won the Powerball drawing Jan. 6. The ticket was bought at Reeds Ferry Market, a modest convenience store in Merrimack, N.H. The owner came out a winner, too, claiming a $75,000 prize for selling the lucky ducat.
'Can you believe someone just walked into my store and won?!' Sam Safa told USA TODAY last month. 'Most of my customers are local, and I'm hoping it's someone local. But whoever it is, congratulations to them.'
The lawsuit, however, says Jane Doe now joins a small demographic of big jackpot winners that 'has historically been victimized by the unscrupulous.' The lawsuit even raises the issue of the opioid crisis in stating that New Hampshire, 'despite its bucolic beauty ... is not immune to crime.'
'The disclosure of Ms. Doe's identifying information would constitute an invasion of privacy because the limited public interest in disclosure is far outweighed by Ms. Doe's interest in remaining anonymous,' the lawsuit states.
Call it the almost $42.9 million selfie. Katrina Bookman flashed her multi-million dollar smile as a slot machine screen appeared to show evidence of her mega win.The apparent jackpot hit was in late August at Resorts World Casino in New York.It was casino chaos in this video shot by Katrina's partner after she reported her huge winnings. She was surrounded by customers and casino personnel and security. Escorted off the casino floor, she was told to come back tomorrow for the decision.Katrina remembers her next day visit to the casino, 'I said what did I win? (casino rep said) You didn't win nothing.' Katrina says the only winning the casino offered was a steak dinner. Posted by Persist
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