The notification pinged just after breakfast, right as the coffee was cooling and the TV was murmuring in the background. René*, 69, a retired bus driver from a small town near Lyon, almost ignored it. Just another promo from the lottery app, he thought. He tapped the screen lazily, half out of habit, half out of boredom. And then everything went very, very fast.
Numbers. Confetti animation. A sum that didn’t fit in his head: €71,500,000. On the sofa, he froze, phone in hand, heart pounding in his chest. The cat jumped off his knees, startled. On the TV, someone was talking about inflation, but the words no longer reached him.
He had just become a multimillionaire.
Seven days later, the same phone would tell him something unthinkable. An e-mail. A notification. A single gesture on an app.
A dream jackpot, a tiny tap, and €71.5 million gone
The story began like all the others: a simple quick-pick ticket bought on a Sunday night, from the worn-out armchair in the living room. René had downloaded the official lottery app during the pandemic, when queuing at the tobacco shop felt risky and awkward. He chose his numbers, paid with his bank card, then went back to his show. Nothing glamorous. No champagne. Just a retired man alone with his TV remote.
When the draw came, he forgot to watch it. It was the app that woke him up to his new life. That strange, buzzing, €71.5 million new life.
That first evening, the calls never stopped. His daughter thought it was a joke. His neighbor showed up with a bottle of supermarket prosecco. His bank manager called him by his first name for the first time. The app displayed a big, colorful banner: “JACKPOT WON – PENDING VALIDATION.” It looked festive and fragile at the same time, like a balloon that might burst.
René took screenshots. He refreshed the app every hour. He even slept with the phone on the nightstand, screen down, as if he were guarding a newborn. *We’ve all been there, that moment when a piece of glass and pixels suddenly feels more real than the rest of your life.*
Behind the scenes, though, rules were ticking away like a discreet countdown. Lottery winnings bought online often go through several stages: draw confirmation, identity checks, transfer to a secure account. Each step is framed by terms and conditions that nobody reads from start to finish. The same ones René had scrolled through and accepted on a sleepy Wednesday afternoon months earlier.
That’s where the trap was hiding. A specific clause, a small button in the app, and a seven-day deadline that would change everything.
The app option that swallowed €71.5 million
On day three, a polite e-mail landed in René’s inbox. “Action required regarding your jackpot,” the subject line read. He opened it, a bit shaky. The message explained that, because of the high amount, he needed to confirm his payout method directly in the app. A large blue button: “Confirm now.” He clicked, was redirected, and landed in a maze of menus with tiny texts and multiple options.
He saw “secure account”, “scheduled payout”, “convert to game credit”. The last one looked like a loyalty deal. It promised “exclusive conditions” and “optimised play”. He didn’t fully understand it. He also didn’t dare touch anything. So he backed out, thinking he’d deal with it with his daughter at the weekend.
Days passed. René half enjoyed his new status, half feared it. He walked differently in the supermarket aisles, but still bought the same brand of pasta. He googled “how to live after winning the lottery” and got lost in testimonials about ruined lives and miracle investments. He told only five people, swearing them to secrecy. He hardly slept, his mind racing with absurd questions. Should he change cars now, or wait for the money to “really” land? Could he still take the bus? Would his old friends treat him the same?
On day seven, just after lunch, the app pinged again. A small red notification that didn’t look dramatic at all.
Inside, a short, dry message: “Your payment choice has not been confirmed. As per our terms, your default setting ‘Convert to game credit’ has been applied.” René frowned. Then his stomach dropped. He refreshed the app’s balance. Where the €71.5 million banner was, the figure had turned into something else: a monstrous stack of gaming credits tied to a very specific rule. According to the notorious clause, these credits had to be wagered within a very tight time frame, under strict conditions, or they would be void.
By the time René reached customer support, a large part of the credits had already been automatically used on pre-configured combinations. The rest, swallowed by expiration times and technicalities. On paper, everything was legal. On a human level, it felt like a nightmare born from one badly designed option buried in an app.
How not to lose a fortune to a tiny button
If there’s one concrete lesson from René’s story, it’s this: whenever money moves through an app, freeze your impulses and slow everything down. The smartest gesture is often to do nothing alone. The same day you learn about a huge win, call someone neutral and qualified: a notary, a financial advisor, even a consumer rights association. Take screenshots of every screen, every message, every option. Save them in a folder, like you’d save medical exams.
Then, read the payout rules on a real computer, with the text enlarged and a notepad next to you. A five-minute tap on your phone can decide the fate of decades of work. Stretch those five minutes into an hour.
Most people feel a mix of euphoria and shame when large sums land unexpectedly. Euphoria, because it looks like a magic solution. Shame, because they’re afraid of “bothering” professionals or of looking ignorant. That’s how they end up clicking alone, at night, eyes tired, hands sweaty, accepting default options meant for fast players, not for fresh millionaires. Let’s be honest: nobody really reads terms and conditions every single day.
Yet when a life-changing amount appears, that’s exactly when you’re allowed to be slow, picky, even suspicious. You can say, out loud if needed: “I don’t understand this, so I’m not touching it until someone explains it to me.”
René told a local journalist, under a false name: “They told me, ‘You didn’t lose anything, you played your credits.’ But I never wanted to play them. I just wanted my money on my bank account. I worked forty years, I never gambled like that. One week I’m a millionaire, the next week I’m back to counting coins at the bakery.”
- Always contact the lottery operator by phone before changing any payout setting in an app.
- Ask for a written summary of your options, with deadlines and consequences, by e-mail.
- Talk to at least one independent expert (not just the operator’s advisor) before clicking “confirm”.
- Never accept default conversion to gaming credits for large wins, unless you fully grasp the risks.
- Keep a friend or family member with a cooler head next to you when you navigate high-stakes menus.
When a jackpot becomes a warning for everyone with a smartphone
René’s misadventure may sound extreme, almost unreal, yet it shines a harsh light on something very ordinary: the way our lives now hang on tiny, complex buttons. Banking, health insurance, social benefits, and yes, lottery winnings, all pass through the same thin glass. A good day or a ruined week can depend on a default setting, a poorly worded clause, a timer hidden three taps away. *The plain truth is that our brains were not designed for this level of constant digital negotiation.*
His story poses an uncomfortable question: how many people have already lost money, rights, or peace of mind because they clicked alone, at the wrong time, on the wrong screen? Maybe not €71.5 million, but enough to feel betrayed by something that was supposed to simplify their lives.
Goodbye kitchen cabinets: the cheaper new trend that won’t warp, swell, or go mouldy over time
The next time an app promises you a miracle in bright colors and big numbers, you might remember an elderly man sitting on his faded sofa, watching a fortune appear, then evaporate, through the same fragile rectangle. And you might slow down, call someone, share the screenshot, refuse the default. Because a jackpot is rare, but that tiny, risky button? We all carry it in our pockets, every single day.
| Key point | Detail | Value for the reader |
|---|---|---|
| Read payout rules slowly | Use a larger screen, take notes, ask for clarifications by e-mail | Reduces the risk of losing money to hidden options or deadlines |
| Never decide alone after a windfall | Call a neutral advisor, not just the operator’s support line | Brings an outside, calmer perspective when emotions run high |
| Beware of “default” and “convert to credit” settings | These options can trigger automatic bets or strict expiry rules | Helps you protect unexpected gains instead of feeding them back into games |
FAQ:
- Question 1Can a lottery operator really convert a jackpot into game credits?
- Answer 1Yes, if the terms you accepted allow it. Some apps offer default “credit” options when payout choices are not confirmed in time, which is why reading those clauses before playing matters.
- Question 2What should I do first if I win a very large amount online?
- Answer 2Take screenshots of every message, log out of the app, and call the official customer service from the number on their website. Then contact a notary or financial advisor before changing any settings.
- Question 3Can I contest a decision based on default settings in the app?
- Answer 3You can file a complaint with the operator, then with a consumer protection body or gambling regulator. Results vary, but keeping written proof and dates strengthens your case.
- Question 4Is it safer to play in a physical shop than on an app?
- Answer 4In a shop, the process is simpler and staff can explain basic things, but you still need to keep your ticket and know the rules. Online or offline, the fine print remains the same battle.
- Question 5How can older relatives protect themselves with these kinds of apps?
- Answer 5Help them set spending limits, disable “fast play” or “auto-convert” features, and ask them to call you before they click any button involving large sums or “credits” or “bonuses”.
