Basque police suspect Igorre club sold lottery tickets over the limit for years
The Ertzaintza has arrested the president of the Zekorrak club in Igorre over 3 million euros in unpaid Christmas lottery prizes, suspecting years of illegal ticket sales.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
Basque police investigate a decade of irregular lottery sales at the Igorre club
The Ertzaintza, the Basque regional police, has arrested the president of the Zekorrak rugby club in Igorre on suspicion of fraud and breach of trust after failing to pay out nearly 3 million euros in Christmas lottery prizes. The investigation suggests the club had been selling more tickets than legally allowed for years, a scam that has left more than a hundred victims.
The 3-million-euro hole and the 130 complaints
The club sold Christmas lottery shares without the ability to pay out. When the number won a prize, they could not cover the winnings. The regional police have received 130 complaints and estimate the fraud at around 3 million euros. The board considered asking those who had already been paid to waive 15% of each ticket to raise the missing 2.1 million, but the case has gone to court.
Irregular sales and suspected fraud
The main suspicion is that the club had been issuing tickets above legal limits for years, a practice that went unnoticed until a large prize exposed the lack of funds. The victims, many of whom had already spent the money on purchases such as motorbikes or property deposits, are now claiming their share.
The investigation remains open and further arrests are expected. Meanwhile, the Igorre case serves as a warning to those who blindly trust collective lottery schemes: the lack of oversight allows these practices to go on unnoticed… until it's time to pay up.
Related discussions in the forum
The Ertzaintza, the Basque regional police, has arrested the president of the Zekorrak rugby club in Igorre on suspicion of fraud and breach of trust after failing to pay out nearly 3 million euros in Christmas lottery prizes. The investigation suggests the club had been selling more tickets than legally allowed for years, a scam that has left more than a hundred victims.
The 3-million-euro hole and the 130 complaints
The club sold Christmas lottery shares without the ability to pay out. When the number won a prize, they could not cover the winnings. The regional police have received 130 complaints and estimate the fraud at around 3 million euros. The board considered asking those who had already been paid to waive 15% of each ticket to raise the missing 2.1 million, but the case has gone to court.
Irregular sales and suspected fraud
The main suspicion is that the club had been issuing tickets above legal limits for years, a practice that went unnoticed until a large prize exposed the lack of funds. The victims, many of whom had already spent the money on purchases such as motorbikes or property deposits, are now claiming their share.
The investigation remains open and further arrests are expected. Meanwhile, the Igorre case serves as a warning to those who blindly trust collective lottery schemes: the lack of oversight allows these practices to go on unnoticed… until it's time to pay up.
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (13 replies).
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