Friend gave away $250,000 scratch-off ticket

[JohnK 0]

Here is his post:

So we do secret Santa here with all the employees at Disability Resource Association. I am the Secret Santa for a very kind lady named Gina. We post what we would like in the Borad Room so our Santas can get us good stuff. Gina asked for Missouri Lotto cards this year. So I bought her three $10.00 cards. I had someone else deliver the my presents to her this morning and left to run some arends. When I got back Gina had scratched off her cards and was screaming. One of the cards I bought for her was a $250,000.00 winner.

I am really happy for her.

I know the first thing I'd do is go home and cry myself to sleep.

If you gave away a winning ticket like that would you expect/hope that the recipient split it with you?

If you received a winning ticket would you split it with the giver?

[sarah and hicham 3]

That's the risk you take when you give someone Lotto tickets as a gift. That really sucks though. Hopefully she'll buy him a nice gift.

[Jesse and Hema 2]

I'd be happy for the person, and jokingly tell them they just need to have me over for dinner.

Then, when I'm at their house, I chloroform them and steal their personal documents/information while they are unconscious. I then proceed with stealing their identity and transferring money from their bank account to my offshore account somewhere.

Nobody would suspect a thing....

[*JG* 2]

I'd be happy for the person, and jokingly tell them they just need to have me over for dinner.

Then, when I'm at their house, I chloroform them and steal their personal documents/information while they are unconscious. I then proceed with stealing their identity and transferring money from their bank account to my offshore account somewhere.

Nobody would suspect a thing....

OMG....I just spit Diet Pepsi all over my computer screen at this.

I'd be happy for her.....sorry for myself......and move along. It is the risk you take when you give those scratch offs away.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

We've actually had this discussion, "Would we share with the giver?" We all came to a consensus 10% was fair, 20% was very fair. I would very easily give someone back $50K and be very happy with $200K.

[almaty 19]

it is karma...i would move on and be grateful for their joy

[Mags 112]

I'd be happy for the person, and jokingly tell them they just need to have me over for dinner.

Then, when I'm at their house, I chloroform them and steal their personal documents/information while they are unconscious. I then proceed with stealing their identity and transferring money from their bank account to my offshore account somewhere.

Nobody would suspect a thing....

:lol:

I'll be honest here and say I'd be miffed if they won that kind of amount but...it is a risk you take so I'd just accept it and move on. Be happy for her and all that jazz. If I won the ticket and it was a Christmas Santa thing then I would find out who bought me the ticket and I would give them a portion - a few grand maybe. Buy them a car perhaps, pay their mortgage for a couple of months, something like that - something they needed.

[Emancipation 2]

A gift is a gift I figure..

I would probably be smashing my head against the wall because of the odds and the irony..

but to EXPECT something back.. IMO is in bad form.

Oh.. and i'd LIKE to think I would split it. but i dunno.. i don't have the 250K in my bank account..

Edited December 19, 2007 by Emancipation

[PlatyPius 5]

If I was given a winning ticket, I'd split it with the giver. Unless it was $1 or $5....too much trouble.

[Lansbury 19]

I'd split it with them, you are still going to have a considerable sum of money for yourself.

[Jesse and Hema 2]

A gift is a gift. The recipient is the complete owner after it is given, regardless of worth.

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Normally, I would agree with you. Here's where I think differently. The giver probably never expected the ticket would be worth that much. $25 great, $50 or $100 even better. But this is a quarter mill. Come on! I'd sure share 10 to 20% and make two peoples lifes happier.

A gift is a gift I figure..

[Emancipation 2]

Normally, I would agree with you. Here's where I think differently. The giver probably never expected the ticket would be worth that much. $25 great, $50 or $100 even better. But this is a quarter mill. Come on! I'd sure share 10 to 20% and make two peoples lifes happier.

A gift is a gift I figure..

It LOOKS like a quarter mill, but after the IRS gets a hold of it.. it's not so much $$..

I think if a gift is a gift in the little things.. it is even MORE so in the big things..

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

It's still over $150K if the taxes are 1/3. That's a pretty big gift NOT to share. I'd still give $50K away to such a kind giver and show my appreciation! (They can pay their own taxes though!)

Normally, I would agree with you. Here's where I think differently. The giver probably never expected the ticket would be worth that much. $25 great, $50 or $100 even better. But this is a quarter mill. Come on! I'd sure share 10 to 20% and make two peoples lifes happier.

A gift is a gift I figure..

It LOOKS like a quarter mill, but after the IRS gets a hold of it.. it's not so much $..

I think if a gift is a gift in the little things.. it is even MORE so in the big things..

[Emancipation 2]

**Side note..

Lottery winnings are NOT taxable in Canada.. and personally THAT is the way it should be.. you play the lottery with NET earnings (IE after tax)... IRS SHEESH!