How can they prove they had the winning ticket when they threw it away?
They might be able to show that they bought tickets at the same time the winner was sold, but that doesn’t mean they are the people who bought it, in which case it’s just an unclaimed prize.
“The men say they have two other tickets showing serial numbers that prove they had a winner. “ And I heard they claim missing ticket was the middle serial of the three.
If they have tickets that show they bought the ticket before AND the ticket after the winner, and the store’s machine shows that all 3 were purchased at the same time, then I say that is pretty good evidence.
There’s been at least one case of a prize being awarded without the ticket. Most lotteries have an investigative team to settle such issues, but it probably varies from state to state. Security video, clerk recognition, etc.
I know that a shady lawyer popped up with a winning ticket but couldn’t prove a ‘lawful chain of possession’ and lost the $12 million prize after an investigation.