Family dispute over winning lottery ticket
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19 Apr 2025 •
Reading time: 3 minutes In the Netherlands, a winning lottery ticket worth €3.2 million sparked a violent family dispute between a man from Rijswijk and his 80-year-old father-in-law. After buying several tickets and discovering that he had the winning number, the complainant claimed that his father-in-law had discreetly stolen the precious ticket from him. The latter claimed that it had been offered to him. Despite a photo of the ticket taken by the original purchaser, the Staatsloterij paid the prize to the father-in-law, relying on the rule that awards the prize to the holder of the physical ticket. The Dutch courts upheld this decision, deeming the procedure compliant and the suspicions of theft insufficiently substantiated. The case caused an irreversible rift in the family, illustrating the devastating consequences that a simple piece of paper can have.
It’s a story that has all the makings of a dramatic film script: a winning lottery ticket, a jackpot worth several million euros, and a family torn apart by greed. In the Netherlands, a simple act of sharing turned into a legal and family nightmare. The backdrop was a €3.2 million prize awarded by the Staatsloterij, a photo as proof of ownership, and accusations of theft within the family circle.
A family dispute over a winning ticket
On 2 September 2023, a resident of Rijswijk in the Netherlands bought several Staatsloterij tickets for the 1 October draw. Convinced by the words of a spiritual advisor predicting victory, he was already planning to invest in his business, support charities in India and help his father-in-law buy a house in Suriname.
On 3 October, in the presence of his 80-year-old father-in-law, he checked the winning numbers and discovered that one of his tickets had won the ‘Droomprijs’: €3.2 million. He immediately photographed the ticket and shared his joy with his father-in-law.
Shortly afterwards, the father-in-law abruptly left the house to visit his youngest daughter and son-in-law. The Rijswijker then realised that the winning ticket had disappeared.
Two opposing versions
The next day, the father-in-law went to the Staatsloterij, claiming that the ticket had been given to him by his son-in-law. He was accompanied by his youngest daughter and his son-in-law, who supported his version.
The Rijswijker contested this claim, accusing his father-in-law of having stolen the ticket by replacing it with another during a moment of inattention. He presented a photo of the banknote as proof of ownership. Confronted with these contradictory versions, the Staatsloterij opened an investigation.
The Staatsloterij investigation
Faced with these contradictory versions, the Staatsloterij opened an investigation. The father-in-law, accompanied by his daughter and another son-in-law, maintained that the ticket had been offered to him, a common practice in the family. The lottery noted that the father-in-law’s reduced dexterity would have made it difficult to exchange the tickets discreetly.
The investigation revealed that the father-in-law gave coherent and precise answers, whereas the Rijswijker’s account was considered to be confused. CCTV footage shows the father-in-law taking the banknote out of his wallet.
The Staatsloterij, in accordance with its rules stipulating that the prize is awarded to the person presenting the winning ticket, decided to pay the €3.2 million to the father-in-law.
The court’s decision
The Rijswijker took the case to court, arguing that the lottery should not have paid out the prize without a thorough investigation. On 5 January 2024, the Court of The Hague ruled that the Staatsloterij had acted reasonably in awarding the prize to the ticket holder, the father-in-law. The court pointed out that it is unlikely that a person would exchange a winning ticket unnoticed, especially if the ticket is of high value.
Reactions and implications
This case caused a complete breakdown in family ties. The Rijswijker, convinced that he had been wronged, saw his relationship with his father-in-law and other family members deteriorate.
The Dutch courts have confirmed that the Staatsloterij complied with its procedures in awarding the winnings to the father-in-law. The Staatsloterij reiterates the importance of keeping tickets carefully and signing them on the back to avoid such situations.