Five clerks are accused of saying the tickets were losers and offering to throw them away

Five clerks are accused of saying the tickets were losers and offering to throw them away. They then tried to cash in the tickets, either themselves or with an accomplice. Eight people were charged in Ramsey County with felony lottery fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison and a $25,000 fine.
Lottery executive director Clint Harris said he wasn’t pleased with the five stores that failed, but he was proud that most employees resisted the temptation to lie.He said a similar test in California found that 18 percent of 450 stores that were checked broke the law. Minnesota lottery officials hope to continue the checks and expand them outside the Twin Cities.Lottery officials said it’s a good idea to sign the back of the ticket before trying to cash it. And 1,600 of the state’s 3,100 lottery retailers have electronic ticket scanners, so players can use those rather than relying on the clerk.