High Court upholds lottery operator's refusal to pay RM185,671 prize

M Mahendravarman lost his appeal against Pan Malaysian Pools Sdn Bhd after the High Court sided with the lottery operator's refusal to honour a RM185,671 prize claim. The court dismissed arguments that the businessman had substantiated his claim through alternative means of evidence.

Mahendravarman had sought to claim the prize without presenting the original winning ticket, instead relying on a photograph and a police report. He contended these documents were sufficient proof of his legitimate claim to the winnings.

However, the High Court upheld the lottery operator's standard requirement for the physical ticket to validate prize claims. The ruling emphasizes that lottery operators are entitled to enforce their established procedures to protect against fraudulent claims and ensure proper verification of winners.

The decision underscores the importance of retaining original lottery tickets, as photographic evidence and police documentation are not accepted as substitutes for the actual ticket in Malaysia's regulated lottery system. Lottery participants are advised to keep their tickets in a safe location until prizes are collected and verified.