The dispute surrounding unpaid winnings linked to a Christmas lottery syndicate in Igorre, in Spain’s Basque Country, has escalated following the arrest of the president of a local rugby club involved in ticket distribution.
The club, founded in 1990 and a participant in the second division of the Basque League, had sold 285 third prize-winning tickets in the Christmas Lottery. Most of the tickets were sold to players, residents of the town, and other sports clubs in Bizkaia.
Last week, the club president issued a public apology and stated that they only discovered in early May that more than 220 tickets remained unpaid, amounting to approximately €2.3m. According to his account, the money was no longer available as it had been used to cover club expenses.
Through social media, those affected began to organise and filed complaints with the Ertzaintza (Basque Police) in Durango and the duty judge.
Those affected have since filed 132 formal complaints and recalculated the number of outstanding tickets. Their count raises the total to 286 tickets, 61 more than acknowledged by the organisation. With this difference, the amount owed would exceed €2.7m.
The arrest of the club president has allowed the investigation to move forward, now focused on determining what happened to the funds and why there is such a large discrepancy between the official figures and those provided by those affected.
The Ertzaintza (Basque Police) is investigating whether there may have been a crime of misappropriation, although no additional charges have been announced at this time.
While the investigation continues, those affected are maintaining their joint strategy and preparing further legal action if the situation is not resolved.
The Spanish Parliament has recently supported a non-legislative proposal promoted by Vox Party to reduce minors’ exposure to Spanish National Organisation of the Blind (ONCE) scratch cards, alongside other addiction-related proposals
