A Tampa gas station clerk could face criminal charges after the Florida Lottery says he tried to keep a $1,000 winning ticket for himself.
On Aug. 19, an undercover lottery agent conducted a compliance investigation at the Shell at 3602 W. Gandy Boulevard in Tampa. The agent presented the store clerk, identified as Amar Yasser Hamden, with a winning scratch-off ticket, a non-winning ticket and two energy drinks.
Hamden scanned the winning scratch-off in the Florida Lottery terminal, which indicated that the ticket was a winner and generated instructions for the player to claim the prize. But instead of telling the agent that the ticket was worth $1,000, Hamden falsely said it was worth only $5, according to the Florida Lottery.
Florida Lottery agents then identified themselves to Hamden and asked where the ticket was located. They said he told them he had thrown it in the trash, but it was later found inside his car.
After an investigation, the agents suspended all lottery activity at the Shell station and removed all Florida Lottery inventory. Hamden was issued a Notice to Appear for violating a Florida law related to the unlawful assignment or transfer of the right to claim a lottery prize.
The Florida Lottery reminds players to always verify the value of a winning ticket before leaving a retailer. This can be done using the Florida Lottery mobile app, a self-service ticket checker or by asking a retailer to scan the ticket using the lottery terminal.
“Our retailers are entrusted with serving Florida Lottery players and handling winning tickets with honesty and integrity,” Florida Lottery Secretary Reginald D. Dixon said. “We take that responsibility seriously, and when a retailer violates that trust, we will act to protect our players and the integrity of the Lottery.”
If you’d like to report integrity-related concerns, you can contact the Florida Lottery’s Integrity and Intelligence Section at integrityandintelligence@flalottery.com.