Former police chief, Ron Smith, who won $995 in the Illinois State Lottery's Lotto game last year, has recently rejected the lottery win

Ex-cop refuses to claim $995 lottery prize because of a law

Former police chief, Ron Smith, who won 995 dollars in the Illinois State Lottery's Lotto game last year, has recently rejected the lottery win. The 57-year-old Smith said he learned in August that he was banned from claiming the prize because he had been working on a security job for the Illinois Racing Board.

According to the current legislation, racing board members are allowed to play the lottery, gamble at casinos, and even bet on horses. However, the board's employees, like Smith, are banned from playing the lottery or betting at racetracks.

According to Suntimes.com, several officials offered him different ways to claim the lottery prize. One lottery staffer called and asked him if he wanted to travel to Springfield and claim the cash on an apparent wink-and-nod basis. Ex-policeman also received a telephone message saying that he could get the cash in Des Plaines, closer to his Will County house. However, a retired suburban police chief, didn’t want to violate the law.

"I felt strongly it just wasn't right. If I deserve it and I should legally have it, then fine. I didn't want to do something as an employee that should not be proper," said Smith. The former policeman didn’t remember exactly who made him the first offer to "bring somebody in, sign over the ticket to them and we'll pay you the money."