Man arrested in case of $31,000 Florida lottery tickets. Can you use a credit card to pay?
A Clearwater man was arrested Monday and charged with using his company credit card to buy thousands of dollars worth of scratch-off lottery tickets.
Warren Alexander Johnson, 47, a truck driver at All Phase and Paving, was charged with a scheme to defraud between $20,000 and $50,000, according to the Pinellas County Court, after the company's owner discovered fraudulent charges for $31,693 on one card between several convenience stores. A convenience store employee recognized Johnson and he admitted to buying "a couple thousands dollars" of lottery tickets.
This is a shocking crime that has many Floridians wondering: Wait, you can buy lottery tickets with credit cards in Florida?
Sort of, and it depends.
Can you use a credit card or Apple Pay to buy lottery, Powerball or Mega Millions tickets in Florida?
Although it appears on multiple lists of states that don't allow credit cards for lottery sales, Florida laws don't actually prohibit it. In fact, 24.118(1), which makes it a second-degree misdemeanor for a retailer to extend credit or loan money to someone to buy lottery tickets, contains this explicit clause (italics added):
"This subsection shall not be construed to prohibit the purchase of a lottery ticket through the use of a credit or charge card or other instrument issued by a bank, savings association, credit union, or charge card company or by a retailer pursuant to part II of chapter 520, provided that any such purchase from a retailer shall be in addition to the purchase of goods and services other than lottery tickets having a cost of no less than $20."
"If a player chooses to use a credit card to buy Florida Lottery tickets," said Florida Lottery spokesperson Karen Thurston-Chavez in an email, "then Florida Statute requires them to also purchase at least $20 worth of goods or services before the Lottery tickets can be applied to the charge."
In practice, few if any retailers will let you buy Powerball, MegaMillions or Florida Lottery tickets with a credit card in the state, but it is legal.
Can you use a debit card to buy lottery tickets in Florida?
Yes, although it's up to each retailer to decide if they want to accept them. Some retailers allow customers to use debit cards, which draw directly on your existing funds, to pay for lottery tickets or scratch-offs with no additional purchase necessary.
How to play, what to do if you win: Ultimate guide to the Florida Lottery, Powerball and Mega Millions
Can you buy lottery tickets with a debit card at Publix?
No. Publix is cash-only for all lottery tickets.
Can you use a credit card or Apple Pay to buy scratch-off tickets in Florida?
Yes, if the retailer allows it. Scratch-offs do not go through the Florida Lottery machines and can be purchased with a credit card provided you also buy at least $20 of goods or services at the same time.
Who can buy lottery tickets in Florida?
Anyone 18 and older can buy lottery tickets in Florida except:
Employees of the Florida Lottery or any relative living in their households
Employees of any vendor under contract with the Florida Lottery for a major procurement, involved with direct provision of goods or services to the Lottery, or having access to confidential information from the Lottery, and their immediate supervisors, are prohibited from buying tickets, along with any relatives living in their household
Adults may buy lottery tickets for minors as gifts, however.
Should you buy scratch-off lottery tickets with a credit card?
Even if you can — and you're not defrauding your employer — it's not a good idea.
According to the Motley Fool, scratch-off and lottery ticket purchases count as cash advances as far as your credit card is concerned. That means they start accruing interest immediately, they have higher interest rates (APR), they don't earn you any rewards and they cost you a transaction fee.
It's also much easier to rack up gambling debts this way, with no real limit and a much higher interest rate on top to run the debt up even faster. Lotteries have some of the worst odds of winning imaginable of any types of gambling. More than 20 states specifically prohibit using a credit card to pay for lottery tickets.
Stick with cash or debit, know the odds going in, and never spend what you don't have in the hopes of big payoffs.
"Only play with money you can afford to lose," the Florida Lottery says on its "Play Responsibly" page, suggesting you include it in the money you budget for discretionary income and maybe think about spending it on something else.
"Some other things you could buy with discretionary income are new shoes, movie tickets or that new best-selling book," the Florida Lottery said.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Powerball, Mega Millions, Florida lotto: Cash, Apple Pay, debit card?
