Winning the lottery may be the most exciting event in anyone’s life, and the dream is alive and well for the average American, who spends around $1,000 a year on lottery tickets. But what if you’re an undocumented immigrant who just won the lottery? To claim your winnings, you’d have to prove your identity to the California lottery commission. If you’re here illegally, you’re probably afraid of being reported to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and facing deportation. Even without that worry, you’re probably wondering how you can verify your identity when you are undocumented.
Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these issues and claim your prize. But it may be difficult to do so if the state or regional commission denies your claim. That’s when you need a lawyer who can protect your rights and ensure that you are recognized as the rightful owner. The lottery dispute attorneys of Normandie are experienced in recovering compensation for lottery winners, including immigrants without legal status and undocumented aliens. Give us a call and let us fight for the money that’s rightfully yours.
Do I Need to be a Legal Resident to Claim Lottery Winnings?
No, you do not need to be a legal resident to claim your lottery winnings in California. In fact, there are no residency restrictions at all on who can play the U.S. lottery and claim the funds from winning tickets. This was confirmed by the California Games Operations Division, which states, “There is nothing to prevent a foreigner from playing, winning, and collecting.”
Previous Cases of Undocumented Lottery Winners
There is also legal precedent to support your case if you’re an illegal immigrant who won the lottery. In 1985, Jose Caballero won $2 million in the California state “Big Spin” lottery show. In spite of his admission that he entered the country illegally, show producers assured him that he was able to participate in their game. According to Lottery Director Mark Michalko, ″People are able to come in from any place in the world, win the lottery and we pay them.″
Another case involved a Guatemalan man named Jose Antonio Cua-Toc, who won $750,000 from the Georgia state lottery. Cua-Toc asked his boss to cash his ticket for him out of fear that his undocumented status would be exposed. Unfortunately, his boss kept the money and claimed that he had asked Cua-Toc to purchase him the ticket along with a pack of cigarettes. Cua-Toc hired an attorney and brought the case before a jury. At his trial, his lawyer showed video surveillance footage of Cua-Toc smiling and excitedly raising his hands after the store owner validated his ticket. The case was won when his lawyer asked the jury, “Is this the reaction of somebody who bought a ticket for someone else and is going to have to give it to his boss tomorrow?”
We wanted to let you know about these cases, because many immigrants are sadly talked out of claiming their winnings, or ask someone else to cash the ticket on their behalf. As a result, they are cheated out of the money that’s rightfully theirs. However, Cua-Toc’s case illustrates the importance of speaking with a lawyer if you’ve been denied or defrauded out of your lottery winnings.
To learn more about your rights as an undocumented lottery winner, please speak with one of our attorneys.
What Can I Do if My Claim is Denied?
Jose Caballero’s case gained a huge amount of media attention at the time, but that was in the 1980s, so most people today are unfamiliar with his story. Thus, many immigrants believe the lottery commissions when their claim is denied as a result of their residency status. But as we stated before, you do not need to be a legal resident in the U.S. to collect your winnings from the California lottery.
In some cases, the lottery commission is ready to process your claim but require you to show proof of identity, such as a passport, driver license, or state ID. However, such forms of identification are difficult for undocumented immigrants to obtain, which can also be used to deny them of their winnings. Your best option is to find a lottery dispute attorney and take legal action to recover your funds. Our lawyers have extensive experience with lottery lawsuits involving illegal immigrant winners. We’ve also worked with clients who were cheated out of workplace lottery pools and family and friend lottery pools. We are fully prepared to fight for you and bring you the prize winnings that you are entitled to.
The Lottery Dispute Lawyers of Normandie
You may be afraid to seek legal representation as a result of your residency status. However, we believe in protecting the rights of all victims, including those who are undocumented. The law entitles you to your winnings and we will go after anyone who tries to take that away from you. We also believe in providing victims quality legal representation with no upfront costs. That means all our services are free, and you will be never be charged a single penny until we win your case.
Our Zero fee guarantee includes free second opinions if you already have a lawyer, but are not happy with their services. Changing counsel during a case is a big decision that should not be made without consulting an attorney. We are happy to review your case and give you an honest assessment regarding your attorney’s work. If you transfer your claim to us, you pay us nothing unless we recover your funds. That means if we lose your case, you won’t have to pay us anything at all.
Don’t wait to demand the lottery winnings that are rightfully yours. Call us right away to schedule a free consultation.
