Being impatient doesn't pay

[BobSch]

http://news.ph.msn.com/regional/arti...mentid=4513949

'nuff said.

[LCHIEN]

statistically speaking, she is just as likely to have "stolen" the winning ticket from him as to have pushed him into taking it.

[woodturner]

statistically speaking, she is just as likely to have "stolen" the winning ticket from him as to have pushed him into taking it.

Not just that - it sounds like he may be a US citizen. It's illegal for US citizens to participate in foreign lotteries. I hope the publicity doesn't result in forfeiture of his winnings.

http://www.consumerfraudreporting.or...ottery_ban.php

[Cochese]

Makes no mention if he's a citizen. Could be a resident alien.

[Mr__Bill]

statistically speaking, she is just as likely to have "stolen" the winning ticket from him as to have pushed him into taking it.

Way back when, I had a Statistics Prof. who told us the difference between statistics and luck. Luck was when it happened to us and statistics when it happens to everyone else.

So....
While statistically speaking at the time of purchase his chance of winning was the same as the pushy lady, it was his Good Luck that she pushed in for the loosing ticket.

Bill
I'll take luck over statistics every time.......

[cabinetman]

Not just that - it sounds like he may be a US citizen. It's illegal for US citizens to participate in foreign lotteries.

It doesn't sound like he is a US citizen. The article states: A Filipino living in the United States, he had bought the ticket while on a holiday to his homeland. He will return to the United States, where he works and has three children.

.

[cabinetman]

Way back when, I had a Statistics Prof. who told us the difference between statistics and luck. Luck was when it happened to us and statistics when it happens to everyone else.

So....
While statistically speaking at the time of purchase his chance of winning was the same as the pushy lady, it was his Good Luck that she pushed in for the loosing ticket.

Bill
I'll take luck over statistics every time.......

And...it was a statistic for her.

.

[Richard in Smithville]

I don't know how American immigration laws work, but is it possible to hold duel citizenship? If that is the case, he would be able to claim a prize from his "other" country.

[Cochese]

Citizenship laws here are kinda weird. If you are an American citizen, you can add another. To become an American citizen, I believe you have to renounce all others. You can hold dual citizenship, but the American one can't be second.

At least that is how it was when I looked into it for my career.

[LCHIEN]

Dual Citizenship

from the US State Department:

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_p.../cis_1753.html


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US State Department Services Dual Nationality


The concept of dual nationality means that a person is a citizen of two countries at the same time. Each country has its own citizenship laws based on its own policy.Persons may have dual nationality by automatic operation of different laws rather than by choice. For example, a child born in a foreign country to U.S. citizen parents may be both a U.S. citizen and a citizen of the country of birth.

A U.S. citizen may acquire foreign citizenship by marriage, or a person naturalized as a U.S. citizen may not lose the citizenship of the country of birth. U.S. law does not mention dual nationality or require a person to choose one citizenship or another. Also, a person who is automatically granted another citizenship does not risk losing U.S. citizenship. However, a person who acquires a foreign citizenship by applying for it may lose U.S. citizenship. In order to lose U.S. citizenship, the law requires that the person must apply for the foreign citizenship voluntarily, by free choice, and with the intention to give up U.S. citizenship.

Intent can be shown by the person's statements or conduct.The U.S. Government recognizes that dual nationality exists but does not encourage it as a matter of policy because of the problems it may cause. Claims of other countries on dual national U.S. citizens may conflict with U.S. law, and dual nationality may limit U.S. Government efforts to assist citizens abroad. The country where a dual national is located generally has a stronger claim to that person's allegiance.

However, dual nationals owe allegiance to both the United States and the foreign country. They are required to obey the laws of both countries. Either country has the right to enforce its laws, particularly if the person later travels there.Most U.S. citizens, including dual nationals, must use a U.S. passport to enter and leave the United States. Dual nationals may also be required by the foreign country to use its passport to enter and leave that country. Use of the foreign passport does not endanger U.S. citizenship.Most countries permit a person to renounce or otherwise lose citizenship.

Information on losing foreign citizenship can be obtained from the foreign country's embassy and consulates in the United States. Americans can renounce U.S. citizenship in the proper form at U.S. embassies and consulates abroad.
============================
And then there's this site (http://www.richw.org/dualcit/law.html#Naturalization)

========================
Citizenship by naturalization (INA § 337, 8 USC § 1448)


A description of the US naturalization oath is given in Section 337(a) of the INA [8 USC § 1448(a)]. Of particular relevance to the dual citizenship issue is that, as part of the oath, a new citizen must pledge "to renounce and abjure absolutely and entirely all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which the applicant was before a subject or citizen."
In practice, it is unclear what if any true legal significance this statement has any more. The US does not require a new citizen to take any formal steps to renounce his old citizenship before officials of the "old country"; and when the other country continues to claim a naturalized US citizen as one of its own, current US policy recognizes that such a person may have to use a passport from the other country in order to visit there, and such an action does not put the person's US citizenship in jeopardy.
At one time, the US took the position that anyone who wished to renounce his prior citizenship in connection with US naturalization had an inherent, unquestionable right to do so. Well into the 19th century, many countries had no provisions at all for renouncing citizenship and did not even acknowledge that their citizens or subjects had any such right. This is, no doubt, why the renunciatory clause in the US naturalization oath is not linked to any additional requirement to give up one's old citizenship in accordance with another country's laws; as far as the US was concerned, the renunciatory statement in its own naturalization oath was sufficient, and all other countries had an obligation to respect it. In recent years, the State Department has apparently decided to take a more pragmatic and realistic stance on this issue. Some efforts have been made in Congress, in recent years, to criminalize dual citizenship by making it a felony for a naturalized US citizen to acknowledge or exercise his/her old citizenship. So far, however, no such legislation has been enacted into law.

======================================

Which explains perhaps why some of us think that as a naturalized US citizen you must give up your previous national status and not be a dual national.

[Cochese]

It's not just what we believe, it's what we were told at State.