A woman who believes she won more than $1 million on a National Lottery has taken the operators Camelot to the court after she was told that she only won $12.
Joan Parker-Grennan from Boston, Lincolnshire insists that she won £1 million ($1.2 million) and that the National operator should give her the prize.
But Camelot disputed the claim and said that they only owe the woman £10 ($12).
Mr. Justice Jay, who presided over the case, was told by Camelot lawyers that there was a ‘technical issue’.
The premise of the lottery game was that if a number in the ‘your numbers’ section of the screen matched one in the winning numbers section, the two matching digits would turn white, showing that the player scooped the prize ‘designated by those matching numbers.’
Camelot said that ‘at the point’ that Parker-Grennan purchased a ticket, its computer system predetermined her prize to be $12.
But there had been a ‘technical issue’ which caused ‘different graphical animation’ on the screen, which resulted in misunderstanding.
The two numbers with a designated prize of $12 were white on the player’s screen with a message saying: “Congratulations, you have won $12” but it was also alleged that another two matching numbers on the screen showed that the prize was $1.2 million.
Barrister James Couser, who represents Parker-Grennan, said there was ‘no real prospect of the claim being successfully defended.’
“The dispute between the parties is actually quite a narrow one,” he said to the judge.
Barrister Philip Hinks said: “There is, at the lowest, a real prospect of Camelot successfully defending the woman’s claim at trial,” adding that the operator was only liable to pay the “outcome of the ticket as predetermined” by the computer system.
“It is inappropriate for the claim to be determined summarily,” he added.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments section and SHARE this story with your friends and family!