(CN) - A would-be Tennessee lottery winner is not entitled to a jackpot because a television station accidentally aired footage of an old drawing, the Tennessee Appeals Court ruled.
Leslie Smith watched the Powerball drawing on Channel 5 in Memphis and the numbers matched, apparently entitling him to a $93.5 million jackpot.
Smith had played the winning numbers from the previous week. When Channel 5 accidentally aired week-old footage, Smith thought he had won the prize. Channel 5 quickly realized its mistake and aired the correct numbers.
Judge Cottrell agreed with the trial court that Smith did not win, because the official drawing results are recorded in the computer system; they are not determined by the media.
"Mr. Smith is not successful because the Lottery did not breach the alleged contract he claims was formed by the (lottery) brochure," Cottrell wrote. "Channel 5 aired footage of the previous drawing, but that footage clearly showed the Sept. 17 date."
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