A Pennsylvania player left $500 in winnings on a lottery machine, and a stranger spent it, police say

Pennsylvania State Police are looking for an older man who they say used $500 in lottery winnings that another player accidentally left on a lottery machine in Woodward Township, Clinton County, Pennsylvania.

A 58-year-old Lock Haven man left the winnings on the machine on Woodward Avenue, and the unknown man used them without his permission, according to the police report, NorthcentralPa.com reported October 13. Troopers took the theft report at 9:15 a.m. September 25. The investigation is ongoing, Trooper Tyler Bierly said. Police have not named or described the man publicly.

The Pennsylvania Lottery's self-service terminals redeem winning tickets worth $600 or less, but they don't hand out cash. A player can spend the credit on more tickets or select "voucher out" and take a printed voucher to any lottery retailer for cash. The lottery warns that leaving a transaction unfinished can result in credits “being subject to possible theft,” and it tells players to check that the screen shows no remaining balance and that every ticket and voucher has printed before stepping away.

It has happened in Pennsylvania before. In 2015, a York man scanned a $500 scratch-off at the Turnpike's South Midway Service Plaza, declined the voucher, and left, the Associated Press reported. Another man used the credit to buy $78 in tickets and a $422 money order. More on how machine sales differ from the counter is in our look at kiosks and clerks, and the state's games are ranked on our Pennsylvania payout guide.

Sources

NorthcentralPa.com: State police seek man who used lottery winnings left on machine

Pennsylvania Lottery: Self-service kiosk winner redemption

WHYY (AP): Police: Lotto winner leaves behind voucher at Turnpike plaza