I don't know where to stand on this one? But it's interesting . I mean on the one hand he should have know better but even then he should have been smart and get someone else to cash it for him cuss you know the Court's are going to take it all. But here is the thing I don't know about Mass. but here in Idaho it is illegal to Gamble.The state has even went so far as to try and outlaw bingo in churches but then if they could tax it, it's not gambling then. We have a state lotto and scratch tickets but the profits go to the schools so it is OK it's not considered gambling if the state runs it.So I guess you'd say he wasn't gambling. But I am quite sure the state will take the money. I bet it doesn't go to the schools either.

I don't know what do you think.I know he was not  to buy lotto tickets but then you got to feel sorry for the guy!

Lottery Winner Wasn't Supposed To Gamble

BOSTON, Nov. 28, 2007(AP) The winner of a $1 million lottery scratch ticket may not be so lucky after all: He's a convicted bank robber who isn't supposed to gamble. Timothy Elliott faces a Dec. 7 court hearing over whether he violated his probation when he bought the $10 ticket for the $800 Million Spectacular game at a supermarket in Hyannis.Elliott was placed on five years' probation after pleading guilty in October 2006 to unarmed robbery for a January 2006 heist at a bank on Cape Cod. Under terms of his probation, he "may not gamble, purchase lottery tickets or visit an establishment where gaming is conducted, including restaurants where Keno may be played."Elliott, 55, has collected the first of 20 annual $50,000 checks from the Massachusetts lottery commission. A picture of Elliott, holding his first check, was posted on the lottery's Web site Monday, though it was removed by Wednesday.As part of his sentence, Elliott was put under the care of the state Mental Health Department and sent to a hospital for treatment, and state officials refused Wednesday to say whether he was still being treated.A telephone number for Elliott could not immediately be located Wednesday, and it was not clear whether he had a lawyer.

The lottery routinely cross references the names of winners with the state Revenue Department to see if they owe back taxes or child support, lottery spokesman Dan Rosenfeld said. In those cases, winnings go straight to the Revenue Department.
But in this case, it will be up to the court to determine what will happen with Elliott's winnings.

"This is kind of new territory," he said.

I bet the state and courts take every penny of it

I was reading recently about a town back east where the city used its powers of eminent domain to take land from people and turn it over to a privet developer. Now this was upheld by the supreme court now just what the hell is going on here now if I don't want to sell my place to some developer for a shopping mall -convention center or what ever the developer can go to the city government and whine and dine someone and boom the government takes my land. Hmmmmmmmmmm that doesn't sound right to me . It kind of smacks of well you figure it out. I don't know what can be done about this but,I know it sucks the idea of eminent domain was for the public ie. parks,maybe roads maybe even for needed government buildings but a privet developer,who is going to make money on it.I don't see where that is in the public interest. The reason why I'm thinking this is because it is happing here also the government is going to step in if people don't sell for the new convention center. Now think on that I want your land to build my big convention center on but I know if you don't sell the government will just take it "at a fair market price" so do you think I'm going to offer you anything over what I can drive the fair market price down too I don't think so I'm going to make sure the appraiser's make sure the price is rock bottom cheap. Hmmmmm what happened to free market. I guess it just goes back to show who the goverment really works for and if you think its the people you need to think again. I guess we should just forget about this hole voting thing and just let the corp. moguls get together in there vacation getaways and decide who is going to do what. Just some thoughts form a hick from the sticks