An elderly woman in Spain, Carmen, was shocked to discover she couldn’t claim her €35,000 (£30,000) lottery prize due to a self-ban system for gambling. Introduced in 2011, the General Register of Gambling Access Bans allows individuals to self-exclude from gambling activities like lotteries, casinos, and online gambling.

Carmen, excited about her win, found out she was on the banned list when she tried to collect her prize. It turned out that her late husband had secretly registered her on the list by forging her signature and sending a notification to the authorities in 2012, suggesting she had a gambling problem.

Despite not recalling ever signing up for the ban, Carmen had been unknowingly listed for 13 years. She is now seeking to be removed from the register to claim her winnings. However, ONCE, the lottery operator, stated they couldn’t award her the prize due to legal restrictions in Spain.

Carmen’s daughter believes her mother was placed on the list because her husband disapproved of her frequent bingo outings. Carmen has taken the matter to court, with her lawyer working to annul her ban entry so she can finally receive her prize. The case is currently under review at the High Court of Justice in Madrid.