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California Lottery winner's address leaked—now he may sue

Winning $12M should be life-changing—not a privacy nightmare. Now, one lucky player may take the lottery to court over a shocking data leak.

The image shows a black and white newspaper advertisement for a lottery ticket with a lot of...
The image shows a black and white newspaper advertisement for a lottery ticket with a lot of numbers on it. The paper has text and numbers written on it, likely indicating the results of the lottery.

California Lottery winner's address leaked—now he may sue

A California Lottery winner is considering legal action after his home address was accidentally made public. Raul Servellon de Leo won a $12-million jackpot in late 2025, but the lottery mistakenly revealed his private details instead of the store’s location where he bought the ticket. The error occurred when the California Lottery published the address of Servellon de Leo’s residence rather than King Wine & Liquor 2 in Sacramento. The mix-up exposed his personal information to the public.

Servellon de Leo may sue if he can prove the disclosure caused harm to his private life. Meanwhile, the lottery has begun reviewing its procedures to avoid similar mistakes in the future. Officials have stressed their commitment to protecting player privacy and ensuring accurate record-keeping. The incident has raised concerns about how sensitive data is handled by the organisation.

The California Lottery is now tightening its protocols to prevent further breaches. Servellon de Leo’s case could hinge on whether the exposure of his address leads to measurable consequences. The outcome may influence how lottery winners’ information is managed going forward.

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