W&L professor brings fraud suit against Virginia Lottery

By News in Brief
Published: July 7, 2008

Washington and Lee University professor Scott Hoover has sued the state over what he says was fraud in sales of scratch-off lottery tickets.

Scott Hoover alleges in the suit filed in Richmond Circuit Court by Roanoke attorney John Fishwick, that the lottery has taken in “millions of dollars in sales of tickets falsely promising the chance to win the top prize.”

Hoover alleges that the lottery, over the last five years, regularly failed to pull tickets from lottery games after all the top prizes were claimed. He estimates that the lottery gained at least $84.7 million in revenues from the knowing sale of losing tickets. The lawsuit, alleging breach of contract, asks the court to set up a claims procedure to return the money to players.

In a statement released June 11, lottery executive director Paula Otto acknowledged “a chance” that tickets from scratcher games remained on sale after the final top prizes were claimed. Otto said, however, that the practice ended in July 2007 and that the lottery is changing its rules to avoid the scenario in the future.


© Copyright 2010 Virginia Lawyers Media. All Rights Reserved.

POST A COMMENT

Today's Top Opinion

Civil Rights - 4CA Announces New Rule on Social Worker Liability
The 4th Circuit says "deliberate indifference" by social workers to a child’s welfare may lead to § 1983 liability; because this is a new standard, the social worker in this case has qualified immunity in a child’s lawsuit alleging harm from her foster care placement with her biological brother, her alleged sexual abuser.
Doe v. S.C. Dep’t of Social Servs. (VLW 010-2-063) (43 pp.)

GET THE VLW DAILY ALERT

The Daily Alert from Virginia Lawyers Weekly brings you the latest legal news every morning in your e-mail. You’ll get headline news, a link to the day’s Top Opinion and more!

Click here for more info.

E-mail Sign Up:


Feeds/Web 2.0: