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Bilhete da Mega da Virada - Foto: Tomaz Silva/Agência Brasil

Elza Jesus de Almeida, 64 years old, resident of the Jabaquara neighborhood, in São Paulo, claims that she lost the millionaire Mega da Virada prize due to a lottery error. According to her, the bet was not registered correctly. Elza says she matched the numbers drawn on December 31, but the lottery operator did not register the bet.

Elza explains that she had a stub with three bets, but they only recorded the first two. The winning combination, 01 – 17 – 19 – 29 – 50 – 57, was left out.

During an interview with the Metrópoles portal on January 1st, she admitted: “There were eight games, it was a lot, I didn’t count. If I had counted, I would have known I was missing one. And, when she charged, I would say: ‘No, wait, there was one missing’, but I didn’t count. I didn’t even imagine that, I trusted.”

However, Elza believes that the recording machine is to blame. She asks: “She put this card inside the machine, why did she register the top two and the bottom one not?” Furthermore, she criticized: “It seems like it’s a mafia, it didn’t just record what was awarded.”

Attempts to prove the version

Since the draw, Elza has taken steps to prove that she played the drawn numbers. In the following days, she and her son contacted the police and the lottery to access the security camera images.

Last Friday (10), Elza notified the lottery extrajudicially and took legal action to ensure that the images are preserved and sent to her lawyer, Evandro Rolim.

Evandro stated: “If the report is positive, my client will file a lawsuit for compensation based on the theory of loss of a chance, since it was demonstrated that she had a real and certain probability of winning and only did not win due to an error in the system”.

The extrajudicial notification gave the lottery three days to provide the images, and the judicial request requires evaluation by a judge.

Persistence and hope to redeem the Mega da Virada prize

Elza remains hopeful of receiving the award. “Because it was their mistake,” she says, referring to the lottery and Caixa Econômica Federal. Determined, she is willing to go to court, even if the process is long.

“I tell God that I’m not wrong, that’s why I have faith that I will win”, she stated. She emphasizes that she wants to see the results before she passes away.

The impact on personal life

Since the incident, Elza has not returned to the lottery, owned by a friend, because she feels “humiliated” and “a poor thing”. When he goes around the city, he hears comments about whether or not he has a chance of winning.

Regarding doubts from third parties, Elza expressed: “The one up there can see that I didn’t do it. I would never do that. I’m 64 years old, I would never lie. I’ve never done that, why would I do that?”

The case affected his sleep, appetite and work performance. She said: “I’m feeling bad, I’m feeling sick, I’m not well.”

Caixa Econômica’s position on the possible Mega da Virada prize

Caixa Econômica Federal, contacted by Metrópoles, clarified on January 2nd that the receipt issued by the terminal is the only document that proves the registration of the bet and allows the withdrawal of prizes.