Florida lottery warns players about third-party services after rogue operator’s bust

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (CBS12) — The Florida Lottery shut down an unauthorized online courier service on Thursday for unlawfully selling lottery tickets.

According to the Florida Lottery, the ‘Lotter’, which operated in collaboration with ZaZa Accessories, allegedly illegally acted as a middleman for purchasing lottery tickets.

“The Florida Lottery shuts down rouge operators who could potentially scam people in Florida,” said Secretary for the Florida Lottery, John F. Davis. “We are fully committed to supporting the integrity of the Florida Lottery, which benefits education in our state while ensuring that every player has the opportunity to participate in a fair game. Bad actors, beware.”

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The Florida Lottery encourages players only purchase tickets only through authorized retailers.

The Lottery reminds players that unauthorized third-party services to buy tickets are illegal, and can result in fraud, misrepresentation, and the potential loss of winnings.

“We take any attempt to undermine the fairness and trust of the Florida Lottery very seriously,” added Steven Harriett, Director of Security for the Florida Lottery. “The actions of this online courier service and lottery retailer not only violate state law but also compromise the experience of our loyal players and retailers who operate with integrity.”

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