Bought 80 Million Won Worth of Lotto at Own Store but Got 'No Prize'... Facing Risk of Punishment

Donghaeng Lottery Reports Store Owner to Police for Unpaid Sales Proceeds
Customers Can Purchase Up to 100,000 Won Per Store

The owner of a lottery sales store was referred to the prosecution on charges of buying a large number of lotto tickets at his own store with the intent to claim the prize money, but failing to pay the sales proceeds.

Mr. A, who operated a lottery sales store in Gijang-gun, Busan until February this year, is accused of purchasing lottery tickets beyond the limit at his store aiming for the prize money and failing to pay for the lottery sales.
[Photo by Asia Economy DB]

According to the police on the 20th, the Busan Gijang Police Station sent lottery sales store owner Mr. A to the prosecution without detention on charges including fraud.

Mr. A, who operated a lottery sales store in Gijang-gun, Busan until February this year, is suspected of purchasing lotto tickets beyond the limit at his own store with the intent to claim the prize money, and then not paying the lottery sales proceeds.

Under current law, lottery tickets can be bought and sold up to 100,000 KRW per person at one store. The problem is not only that Mr. A purchased lotto tickets in large quantities at his own store, but also that he did not pay the sales proceeds.

Donghaeng Lottery, which manages the lotto, found it suspicious that Mr. A did not pay the lottery sales proceeds and reported him to the police in March.

It is reported that the unpaid sales proceeds by Mr. A amount to 80 million KRW. The police explained that Mr. A exchanged some winning lotto tickets for cash at nearby lottery sales stores, but the prize money was not large.

Competition rate for new lotto sales stores 34 to 1... Annual average income 24 million KRW

Meanwhile, around April, Donghaeng Lottery, the operator of the Lotto lottery, selected 1,714 lottery sellers to open new Lotto sales outlets.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, around April, Donghaeng Lottery, the operator of the lotto, selected 1,714 lottery sellers to open new lotto sales stores. At that time, 57,842 people applied for the lotto seller recruitment, recording a competition rate of 34 to 1. Last year, 70,319 people applied, showing a competition rate of 53 to 1.

The eligibility for lotto seller application is given to priority contract candidates such as persons with disabilities, basic livelihood security recipients, heads of single-parent households, independence activists, national merit recipients, and the lower-income class under the National Basic Livelihood Security Act.

Winners are randomly drawn by region (city, county, district) using a computer program. The annual average commission income of newly opened lotto sales stores from 2019 to 2021 was 24 million KRW (excluding value-added tax).

The cost of opening a lotto sales store must be borne by the applicant, and distance regulations from existing lotto sales stores (50 to 300 meters depending on the region) must be observed.