Gia Lai Lottery Company is currently working with authorities to verify the validity of a winning ticket worth 2 billion VND (approximately USD 82,000) belonging to Mr. P.D.L., a resident of Quang Ngai Province, after the ticket was discovered to be torn.

On September 25, while returning from a construction job, Mr. P.D.L. (45 years old, from Ve Giang commune, Quang Ngai Province) stopped at a roadside eatery and purchased a 10,000 VND (USD 0.41) lottery ticket issued by Gia Lai Lottery Company.

The ticket, bearing the serial number K39-25 and the sequence 996946, was for the drawing held on September 26.

Mr. L. folded the ticket and placed it in his pants pocket along with a pack of cigarettes. Due to rainy weather and movement, the ticket was accidentally torn down the middle. The next day, upon checking the results, he realized that his torn ticket matched the grand prize number worth 2 billion VND.

On October 2, Mr. L. brought the ticket to the representative office of Gia Lai Lottery Company in Quang Ngai to claim his prize. The ticket was received and sent to the company’s headquarters in Pleiku City (Gia Lai) for assessment. By October 8, Mr. L. was invited back to the Quang Ngai office for an official review meeting.

At the meeting, company representatives confirmed that the ticket was torn in the middle and that a portion was missing, meaning the ticket was no longer intact.

According to regulations from the Ministry of Finance regarding lottery claim conditions, tickets must be “intact in shape and size, not torn, patched, erased, or altered, and still within the validity period.” Based on these rules, Gia Lai Lottery Company concluded that Mr. L.’s ticket did not meet the necessary criteria to claim the prize.

Disagreeing with this conclusion, Mr. L. requested the company establish an inspection council to officially verify the ticket’s validity. He also demanded that, if the ticket is ultimately deemed ineligible, the company must issue a formal written response with signatures and an official seal. Following the meeting, the company returned the ticket to Mr. L. for safekeeping while awaiting further review.

On October 19, Mr. Truong Van Thieng, Director of Gia Lai Lottery Company, confirmed that the company is coordinating with relevant authorities to assess the legitimacy of the damaged ticket.

Mr. Thieng added that in cases where the ticket is torn due to objective reasons, it may still be considered valid if there is sufficient evidence to verify its original condition. If the ticket is found to meet all criteria, the winner will receive the full prize as prescribed.

The case remains under investigation as the company and authorities continue their review process.

Tran Hoan