One thing could stop you claiming your PowerBall jackpot, and it has nothing to do with your numbers
· The South African
Getting your numbers right feels like the hard part.
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But there’s a small, easy-to-forget step that decides whether you actually get to keep your winnings. It has nothing to do with luck..
Why your ticket doesn’t automatically belong to you
A PowerBall ticket is what’s known as a bearer instrument.
Whoever physically holds it, and presents it to claim a prize, is treated as the rightful winner.
It doesn’t matter whose money bought it or who chose the numbers.
If someone else finds or takes your winning ticket and hands it in first, they can walk away with your prize instead of you.
The one thing that actually protects you
Signing the back of your ticket with your full name and ID number, in permanent ink, immediately after buying it, is the single most effective way to protect yourself.
If your ticket goes missing and someone else tries to claim it, your signature gives you a real basis to prove ownership.
An unsigned ticket offers almost no protection at all, whoever holds it simply becomes the assumed rightful winner.
What happens if your ticket gets damaged instead
A torn, faded or otherwise damaged ticket isn’t automatically a lost cause.
Sizekhaya investigates damaged ticket claims individually.
If the barcode is still readable, or if computer records and other details confirm your win, your claim can still go through.
It’s worth contacting the National Lottery helpline immediately if this happens, rather than attempting to fix or alter the ticket yourself.
It is hectic to think you could match all six numbers and still lose everything over one missing signature.
Have you ever signed the back of a ticket the moment you bought it, or does that step usually slip your mind too?
Let us know in the comments below…
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