A 79-year-old woman named Carmen, residing in Spain, was taken aback when she discovered she couldn’t claim her €35,000 (£30,000) ONCE daily draw lottery prize. The issue stemmed from a gambling self-exclusion system implemented in Spain back in 2011.
This system, known as the General Register of Gambling Access Bans, lets individuals ban themselves from engaging in various forms of gambling, including online platforms, casinos, bingo establishments, and lotteries. Carmen realized she was on the list of self-excluded individuals when she attempted to collect her winnings, despite having no recollection of registering.
The revelation came to light that Carmen’s late husband had surreptitiously enrolled her in the self-exclusion program before his passing. He forged her signature and sent a burofax in January 2012 to the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling from a local post office. The letter falsely portrayed Carmen as having a severe gambling problem, allowing her husband to enroll her without her knowledge.
Carmen, shocked by this 13-year-long unknown registration, is now endeavoring to have her name removed from the list. ONCE, the lottery operator, expressed willingness to award Carmen her prize but is constrained by Spanish regulations.
Carmen’s daughter speculates that her mother was included in the register due to her husband’s disapproval of her frequent bingo attendance. Allegedly, her husband’s sexist attitude led to conflicts over Carmen’s bingo outings.
Currently, Carmen has taken legal action to challenge the ban, with the case pending at the High Court of Justice in Madrid. Her solicitor is working towards an automatic annulment of her registration to enable her to claim the prize rightfully.