Thieves face long odds on lottery tickets

Odds are, a trio of thieves who stole lottery tickets are wishing they went for a cash payout instead.

That's because state lottery officials invalidate tickets when they're reported stolen, a lottery official said Wednesday.

"The moment the retailer or the police reports them as stolen, we can take them out of circulation," said lottery spokeswoman Carolyn Hapeman. "They're invalid."

The tickets can also be identified as stolen if someone tries to cash them, she said.

Nassau County police said the tickets were stolen by a trio who burglarized a BP gas station on Broadway in Hewlett late Tuesday.

The three then ran east on Broadway and were got into a light-colored, late-model four-door vehicle, police said.

While police and Hapeman did not reveal what type of scratch-off tickets were stolen or how many were taken, Hapeman said officials can determine which tickets have been delivered to a specific store, then take those blocks of tickets out of service.

The New York Lottery has dozens of scratch-off ticket games, including "Minute to Win It," "Loteria," "Magnificent Millions," "Lots of Green" and "Set for Life" - with prizes that can turn winners into millionaires overnight.

Detectives are asking anyone with information regarding the incident to contact Crime Stoppers at 800-244-TIPS. All calls will remain confidential.