A man in China, who spent 900,000 yuan (US$130,000) on losing lottery tickets in a single month, has sued the sales agent and the lottery management centre, demanding they return his wager with interest.
The case has captivated mainland social media after the Baohe District People’s Court of Hefei, central Anhui province, rejected the man’s request earlier this month.
According to a report by Anhui Business News, the man, surnamed He, who lives in Hefei, bought numerous tickets in September 2023 at a lottery shop owned by a man named Zhang.
Zhang is a certified sales agent for the local lottery management centre.
The buyer usually chose some lottery tickets and bought them via a social media app.
He transferred the payment for them to Zhang’s bank account.
After receiving He’s money and his instructions on which lottery ticket to buy, Zhang bought the tickets for He at a lottery shop. Zhang then took a picture of the tickets before sending the images to He.
Zhang claimed that he sent He a notification letter about the risk of spending a large amount of money on lottery tickets. He confirmed he was aware of this risk.
He’s age, occupation and financial situation were not disclosed in the report.
When He found he won nothing, he took Zhang and the lottery management centre to court.
He believed that the way Zhang promoted and sold the lottery tickets, plus the manner in which he received them and made payments, was out with the law.
He also believed the way Zhang announced the results on social media was illegal.
Therefore, He argued that the purchase contract should be ruled invalid, said
He demanded that Zhang and the lottery centre return his 900,000 yuan with interest.
The court was of the opinion that Zhang’s methods did not necessarily lead to more people squandering money on the lottery.
What the buyer provided was not evidence that he was deliberately induced into buying lottery tickets, the court said.
As an adult, He has full capacity for civil conduct, meaning that he understands buying lottery tickets does not equal winning a prize.
Also, Zhang had told He multiple times to spend rationally and He had read the risk notification letter, but still ignored the potential risk, said the court.
The court decided to turn down He’s request.
“Buying lottery might possibly bring a big prize, but there is also a big risk of loss. Lottery players should be rational and cautious when buying lottery tickets, especially when it involves a lot of money,” the presiding judge told the media.
The story has caused a buzz on mainland social media.
“I doubt how the man, with such a low intelligence quotient, came to have 900,000 yuan,” said one online observer.
“He is too greedy. If I had 900,000 yuan, I would just quit my job and enjoy life,” said another.
News about huge lottery jackpots often makes headlines in China.
In 2023, a man in Jiangxi province, eastern China, won a top prize of 220 million yuan (US$32 million) from the lottery tickets on which he spent 100,000 (US$14,000). -- SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
