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apples and oranges

(1,451 posts) Tue Sep 30, 2014, 01:10 AM Sep 2014

Struggling Family Robbed of 500k prize [View all]

Read the following instructions for Texas' scratch off lottery ticket.

Based on the wording and the presence of a Money Bax in the 5X box, Ms. Hinojosa won $500,000. But she only walked away with $5.00.

Hinojosa is one of hundreds of lottery players who thought she won the lottery, only to find out it was a misunderstanding.

Why the confusion? The instructions on the ticket say a winner must match up 3 "5s" in a row to win a prize. A second sentence says if a moneybag symbol is revealed in the five times box the player wins five times the prize. Many players thought the second sentence was a second way to win on the ticket.

"There's a sentence, a period, and then they start a whole new sentence." Hinojosa said.

In a statement the Texas Lottery Commission said, "The first sentence of the play instructions for Game 5 of the scratch-off game, Fun 5's, explains how to win the prize in the PRIZE box. The sentence reads, Reveal three "5" symbols in any one row, column or diagonal, win PRIZE in PRIZE box. The second sentence, Reveal a Money Bag symbol in the 5X BOX, win 5 times that PRIZE, explains how to multiply a prize won as described in the first sentence."

Read More: http://www.myfoxaustin.com/story/26630555/lottery-ticket-confusion

86 replies

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Struggling Family Robbed of 500k prize [View all] apples and oranges Sep 2014 OP

I read it the same way dontshoot Sep 2014 #1

It reads like two criteria needed to be met. cyberswede Sep 2014 #2

Really ? we have tickets in my state that give 2nd and 3rd chance wins dontshoot Sep 2014 #3

I admit a lack of familiarity with lottery tickets. cyberswede Sep 2014 #10

I'd agree if it didn't say "win 5x THAT prize" jberryhill Sep 2014 #12

It's pretty clear LOL, "any one row" snooper2 Sep 2014 #56

There is no "prize" if you don't win it in the first place. Adrahil Sep 2014 #60

that's how i see it lame54 Sep 2014 #72

I'm with you. bluesbassman Sep 2014 #5

Then what purpose does the $100,000 box serve? dontshoot Sep 2014 #9

That's the prize you get if you reveal three 5s in a row or column... cyberswede Sep 2014 #11

How did she walk away with $5 dontshoot Sep 2014 #13

There are five scratch off games on one $5 ticket. lpbk2713 Sep 2014 #17

gotcha dontshoot Sep 2014 #19

Apparently the part in question is only one of the ways to win. bluesbassman Sep 2014 #18

Evidently, there are 5 different games on each ticket. cyberswede Sep 2014 #20

Correct. Could've been $100, $500, or whatever... bluesbassman Sep 2014 #15

I normally see ambiguities jberryhill Sep 2014 #4

"that PRIZE" a2liberal Sep 2014 #25

Edit actually I think you're right. kcr Sep 2014 #37

in "PRIZE box" the word prize is an adjective, not a noun jberryhill Sep 2014 #43

They weren't robbed of anything. linuxman Sep 2014 #6

I don't see the problem. ohnoyoudidnt Sep 2014 #7

I don't see three 5s either... ChisolmTrailDem Sep 2014 #16

Sorry, but they weren't "robbed". UtahJosh Sep 2014 #8

Dumb game, and they didn't win bhikkhu Sep 2014 #14

A "struggling family" should not be losing money on lottery tickets. nt ChisolmTrailDem Sep 2014 #21

Sometimes you just dream and spend $5 dontshoot Sep 2014 #22

Disagree, in moderation. Anyway, they didn't get 3 5's in a row. closeupready Sep 2014 #44

It's pretty fun to pretend we have all relevant knowledge of a family's finances and expenses LanternWaste Sep 2014 #51

Is there a different definition for the word "struggling"? Do you not agree that if someone is ChisolmTrailDem Sep 2014 #62

Thank you! yeoman6987 Sep 2014 #76

Alternate headline: "Semi-literate family have false hopes dashed." wickerwoman Sep 2014 #23

Quite true. I read the ticket and it took me all of 3/4 of a second to realize: They Lost. BlueJazz Sep 2014 #33

NY had a similar one... Historic NY Sep 2014 #24

I can't believe some people here... a2liberal Sep 2014 #26

"row" is a pretty clear word, not as clear as "is" but we are still working on that one snooper2 Sep 2014 #58

Focus on what the word "THAT" means joeglow3 Sep 2014 #65

LOL OMG kcr Sep 2014 #68

If you are writing in tween you need to add numbers and capitalize in tEh miDDle F woRds k? snooper2 Sep 2014 #71

The mafia numbers racket was more honest. Downwinder Sep 2014 #27

and paid back a much larger percentage. HERVEPA Sep 2014 #53

Well this does win the prize for dumbest headline of the week alphafemale Sep 2014 #28

plain and simple failure to comprehend instructions is not robbed. hobbit709 Sep 2014 #29

Seems obvious to me jambo101 Sep 2014 #30

You have to get three 5's to win any prize.. SoCalDem Sep 2014 #31

Where is that stated in the instructions? apples and oranges Sep 2014 #45

In the written instructions SoCalDem Sep 2014 #79

The game makes sense to me gollygee Sep 2014 #32

I'm going to go against consensus here. Chan790 Sep 2014 #34

I went back to carefully re read it after what you posted and I think you're right. kcr Sep 2014 #40

I felt the same way, initially apples and oranges Sep 2014 #47

+1000 a2liberal Sep 2014 #55

Reading it as a legal document makes it more clear it is not a win jberryhill Oct 2014 #86

The poor are robbed daily by buying lottery roody Sep 2014 #35

Must have been a really slow news day in Austin. TexasMommaWithAHat Sep 2014 #36

The only confusion to me kiva Sep 2014 #38

The whole point of lottery tickets is to rob poor people. n/t lumberjack_jeff Sep 2014 #39

They're not being robbed. Bonx Sep 2014 #67

People "enthusiastically hand over money" for drugs, too. lumberjack_jeff Sep 2014 #69

Yep. Every day at Walgreens & CVS Bonx Sep 2014 #74

I don't see three 5s in a row, column, or diagnol. aikoaiko Sep 2014 #41

You might want to change that extremely misleading headline. Ms. Toad Sep 2014 #42

I read it right. Iggo Sep 2014 #46

Family disappointed. Not robbed. nt Dreamer Tatum Sep 2014 #48

I read the post title and thought someone robbed them of a winning lottery ticket. Tommy_Carcetti Sep 2014 #49

They were robbed by Ilsa Sep 2014 #50

"In any one row column or diagonal". louis-t Sep 2014 #52

First they were not robbed, I read it and completely understood. dilby Sep 2014 #54

I guess "struggling family misinterprets ambiguously worded scratch-off ticket" Nye Bevan Sep 2014 #57

It's not really ambiguous. It says "in a row". louis-t Sep 2014 #77

The poor in general are robbed because they are encouraged to buy lottery tickets. cbayer Sep 2014 #59

Can someone explain how that ticket wins $5? DesMoinesDem Sep 2014 #61

There were multiple games on the ticket Travis_0004 Sep 2014 #81

It's 5 games on one card, here's a picture: NYC_SKP Sep 2014 #82

Reading comprehension fail - not robbery. GoneOffShore Sep 2014 #63

agreed Liberal_in_LA Sep 2014 #73

The only way struggling family comes into it... bobclark86 Sep 2014 #64

At the end of the day, the wording means JACK SHIT joeglow3 Sep 2014 #66

So, the law doesn't care about words? kcr Sep 2014 #70

The wording was clear joeglow3 Oct 2014 #83

Typically, the bar code is ALSO covered in removable glitter ink, so closeupready Sep 2014 #75

Sophistry aside, I think most who actually hail from this planet know that's not a winning ticket. trackfan Sep 2014 #78

They weren't "robbed", but ... surrealAmerican Sep 2014 #80

Hinojosa has a reading comprehension problem. . B Calm Oct 2014 #84

I can't figure out where they won in the first place. NCTraveler Oct 2014 #85