Lottery Owner in A Coruña Sentenced for Attempting to Claim €4.7 Million Winnings. A court in A Coruña has sentenced a lottery outlet owner to 3.5 years in prison for attempting to defraud a client of a €4.7 million prize. His brother, a Lottery official, was acquitted. The ticket has not yet been handed over to the heirs.
The owner of a lottery outlet in A Coruña has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison for attempting to claim a €4.7 million “Primitiva” lottery prize for himself. The provincial court found that Manuel Reya deliberately misled the client to obtain the large prize. The court established that, upon noticing the winning ticket, the businessman did not inform the player and kept the ticket for himself.
At the same time, his brother, who held the post of State Lotteries delegate for the province, was fully acquitted of charges of complicity and money laundering. The judges found no evidence of collusion between the brothers, and noted that the delegate immediately notified the Lotteries office about the discovery of the ticket and, after transferring it, lost control over it. The prosecution's argument of joint manipulation did not find support in court.
The court decision has not yet come into force and may be appealed to the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, the issue of transferring the €4.7 million ticket to the widow and daughter of the lawful owner remains unresolved: the court indicated that the ticket should be included in the estate, and further distribution will depend on the will.
Lottery winnings in Spain have repeatedly become the subject of court proceedings. The country has strict control over large payouts, and any suspicion of fraud is thoroughly investigated. For example, the National Court recently allowed one of the defendants in the Plus Ultra case to leave Spain by modifying his preventive measure— details on the Plus Ultra case also sparked widespread public outcry.
In Spain, lottery winnings are subject to taxation, and disputes over the right to receive large sums often end up in court. According to RUSSPAIN, such cases can drag on for years, especially when inheritance or contentious ticket acquisition is involved. In this instance, the court's decision not only determines the fate of the accused but also sets a precedent for similar disputes in the future.
