A lottery winner says she was "held hostage" from her cash due to a little-known law which prevented people from claiming the jackpot. The law prevented lottery winners in Florida from collecting their prize money due to the unemployment office - the Department of Economic Opportunity - withholding it over perceived debts.
"I worked at the Double Tree [hotel], and my day, every day, is to get up early," said Ms McMillen, 82. She collected unemployment at the beginning of the Covid pandemic when the hotel shut its doors, but was later told in a letter she had been overpaid by around $200. Her winnings didn't make their way to her, however, as she found out she was being denied the money. She explained: "They told me they're not going to pay me. Because I had an overpayment on my unemployment. I say 'I can't believe that', I say, 'I paid that already'."
Most of those who contacted WFTS apparently had no idea they even owed money to begin with. The outlet obtained public records from the Florida Lottery, which showed that between January 1, 2022, and January 31, 2023, a total of 9,804 winners received a "potential outstanding owed debt alert".