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When you buy a tenth, you put all your enthusiasm into the draw in which it participates and therefore you must keep it well so as not to lose it, neglect it, throw it away, break it or damage it in any way.
It is usually somewhat more frequent than it seems a priori that a tenth with a prize ends up deteriorated. On many occasions it gets into the washing machine tucked into the pocket of some garment or falls to the ground and ends up in a puddle or hit by a vehicle. On other occasions it ends up in the trash because it has been confused with another previous draw or even a child or older person ends up putting it in a place that he later does not remember.
If you have won a Lottery prize, but your ticket is broken or damaged, you can still collect it, although you will have to follow the requirements that the SELAE (State Lottery and State Gambling Society) requires for this.
The National Lottery tickets are bearer documents and a tenth is also bearer, only as its name indicates it is a tenth of this. This implies that to collect it, it is essential to present it and that it be legible, SELAE indicates: "No prize will be awarded without prior presentation of the ticket or fraction that obtains it, whose document cannot be replaced or substituted in any way.".
It also states that "Torn or damaged banknotes that give rise to doubts about their validity, as well as those that inspire suspicion of counterfeiting, will be subject to official recognition.".
What to do to collect a prize if your tenth has broken?
So if your ticket is broken and you want to collect the prize, the first thing you should do is go to your nearest Lottery administration so they can inspect it and see if the damage is minor and therefore themselves check its validity. If the damage is greater and the tenth is unrecognizable, the procedure must be carried out by the National Currency and Stamp Factory (FNMT), which has the technical means to certify the validity of the ticket.
To collect the prize and that it can pass the validity either in the Lottery Administration or in the FNMT it is best not to manipulate it, that is, do not paste it, or recompose it in any way, since can be considered an attempted forgery, and the collection of the prize would be annulled.
It is also convenient to provide other evidence, a photocopy or photo of the tenth, proof of purchase if you have it, or anything else that can help its legitimacy.
Tips to avoid damaging your tenth of the Lottery
1. Buy your ticket at an official point of sale.
2. Check that the ticket is stamped and validated.
3. Take a proof of payment.
4. When taking it with you, it is better to keep it in your purse/wallet than to put it in a pocket or keep it in your bag without a hold as it could fall due to carelessness.
5. Once at home, keep it in a safe place and don't forget it.
6. If you share the ticket with friends or family and you do not keep it, you must have a photocopy of it with all the participation data and signed by the person responsible for the ticket with his or her name and surname.
Remember you have 3 months to collect the prize from the day after the draw is held. Those whose amount is less than 2.000 euros can be exchanged at any lottery administration, for those that are equal to or greater than this amount, you must do so at SELAE collaborating banking entities.
