A man who regularly asked a lottery shop owner to buy tickets on his behalf won a jackpot of more than 8.25 million yuan (about US$1.24 million). But the shop owner secretly claimed the prize — worth over 6.6 million yuan (about US$990,000) after tax — and moved the money to relatives and associated companies.
The Nanxun District People's Court in Huzhou, Zhejiang Province, recently announced its first-instance ruling in the case: the winnings belonged to the customer, and the shop owner must pay back what he still owes — 2.81 million yuan (about US$421,500) plus interest.
File footage, unrelated to this incident.
How the jackpot disappeared
The customer, surnamed Yan, had regularly asked the shop owner, surnamed Wang, to buy lottery tickets for him. On November 5, 2025, Yan sent Wang three sets of numbers. One of the tickets won the first prize — but Wang kept the ticket and claimed the winnings without telling Yan.
After discovering what had happened, Yan took Wang to court. The two later reached a settlement, under which Yan agreed to give up 1 million yuan (about US$150,000) and Wang promised to pay him 5.6 million yuan (about US$840,000).
Wang eventually paid 2.79 million yuan (about US$418,500) but failed to pay the remaining 2.81 million yuan (about US$421,500). Yan then filed another lawsuit, demanding that Wang pay the full outstanding amount and interest.
What the court decided
The court ruled that the lottery winnings belonged to Yan because Wang had purchased the tickets on his behalf. It also found the settlement agreement legally valid and ordered Wang to pay the remaining 2.81 million yuan (about US$421,500) plus interest.
The court also held Wang's mother and a company linked to his father liable for helping transfer the money. His father-in-law was not held responsible after returning the money he had received. Wang's wife was also cleared of liability due to insufficient evidence that the money had been used for their shared household expenses.
The takeaway
The case is a reminder that lottery winnings from tickets purchased on someone else's behalf belong to the person who commissioned the purchase. Customers should keep payment and communication records and collect their physical tickets promptly.
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