"I Have a Photo, So Why Won't You Pay?" ... Man Who Lost 60 Million Won Lottery Ticket Loses Appeal Too

Malaysian Man Claims Lottery Winnings With a Photo of His Ticket

Loses at Trial and on Appeal, Owes 4.17 Million Won in Legal Costs

Lottery Operator and Courts: "A Photo Isn't Enough to Claim the Prize"

A Malaysian man who lost his lottery ticket demanded a prize of about 60 million won, saying he had a photo of the winning ticket, but he lost his appeal as well.

"I Have a Photo" vs. "The Original Ticket Is Required"...Legal Battle Lasts More Than Three Years

Photo for illustrative purposes. Pexels

According to Malaysia's Free Malaysia Today (FMT) and other media outlets on October 20 (local time), the Shah Alam High Court in Selangor dismissed an appeal by businessman M. Mahendravarman in a lawsuit seeking payment of his lottery winnings from lottery operator Pan Malaysian Pools.

In early December 2025, the Shah Alam District Court, which heard the case at trial, also ruled in favor of the lottery operator, saying the plaintiff had failed to prove his right to claim the prize. The appeals court upheld that decision, leaving Mahendravarman liable for 10,000 ringgit (about 3.2 million won) in trial costs and an additional 3,000 ringgit (about 970,000 won) in appeal costs.

The lottery ticket dates back to May 2022. Mahendravarman bought it for 30 ringgit (about 9,700 won) at a lottery shop near the capital, Kuala Lumpur. The ticket, bearing the numbers "1515" and "1010," won 185,671 ringgit (about 60.2 million won), but he lost the original ticket soon afterward.

However, he had a photo of the ticket that he had taken with his phone. After reporting the loss to local police on May 16 that year, he went to the lottery operator with the photo and the police report receipt. The company refused to pay, saying, "Under the rules, we cannot pay out the prize without the original physical ticket," and the dispute led to a lawsuit.

At trial, Mahendravarman's side argued, "A witness for the lottery operator also acknowledged that the serial number on the ticket in the photo matched the number on the police report." They added, "No third party ever came forward with the original ticket to claim the prize or make a duplicate claim." The lottery operator countered that "submitting the physical ticket, which functions as a negotiable instrument, is essential to prevent fraud involving forgery or alteration and duplicate payouts."

The lawsuit continued for more than three years. Mahendravarman's lawyer said immediately after the ruling that they would decide whether to appeal to the Federal Court.

In South Korea, Winnings Are Automatically Paid on the Deadline If Registered in the App

In the past, a woman in Vietnam sought a prize after her physical lottery tickets were stolen. In September 2015, a woman in Da Nang, Vietnam, had two winning tickets worth 100 million dong (about 5.2 million won) verified by the lottery company, but was told to return the next day because the company did not have enough cash. That day, however, her wallet containing the tickets was stolen. The lottery company refused to pay, saying the tickets had to be intact to be valid. A local court found both parties at fault and ordered the company to pay half the prize.

In South Korea, Donghaeng Lottery operates an "Automatic Payout Service for Unclaimed Winnings." If a ticket is registered in the app, any winnings not claimed in person by the day before the payment deadline are paid on the deadline based on the registered information. Prizes can still be claimed even if the physical ticket has been damaged, for example, in the wash. However, Donghaeng Lottery says, "This service does not replace the physical ticket," and advises that no additional payment will be made if someone else finds a lost ticket and claims the prize first.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.