Latest news with #ManitobaLiquorandLotteries
Sunday World
6 days ago
- Business
- Sunday World
Man sues ex alleging she took $5 million lottery winnings and ghosted him
In news footage at the time they collected the prize, she told reporters the ticket was a birthday present A man is suing his ex-girlfriend after alleging she stole their joint $5 million (€3.2 million) winning lottery ticket and ghosted him. Lawrence Campbell from Winnipeg, Canada, filed a lawsuit against his ex, Krystal Ann McKay, as well as Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. The details of the claim were publicised by Canadian news channel CTV. Both McKay and Campell say he bought the winning lotto ticket on January 19th 2024. The couple were said to be in a 'loyal, committed, and promising relationship' at the time. In his lawsuit, the Canadian claims he gave his ex the ticket for safekeeping and forgot about it until he found it on the floor at a friend's home days later. He checked the ticket on his phone and found they had won the jackpot. The pair called friends and family to inform them of their win before they went to a nearby shop to verify that they did indeed have a winning ticket. In the suit, Campbell said that he was unable to collect the winnings because he didn't have a valid 'government-issued ID'. Instead, McKay collected the winnings on their behalf. She also deposited the money in her bank account as Campbell didn't have his own. A news conference held days after the win showed them claiming the winnings, with a massive check written out to McKay. 'It was really overwhelming, exciting,' she told reporters at the time, adding that the ticket was a birthday gift from her boyfriend. 'She had been asking me for three weeks to get a ticket, but I never went and got one,' he chimed in. 'Then we drove by one, and I was like 'OK, I might as well go get you one right now.'' The lawsuit claimed that in the days following her win, McKay failed to return to the hotel room where the couple were staying. Campbell said that he set out to find her at 'a few of her known spots where she would party' and eventually 'found her in bed, with another guy.' At this point she allegedly said she wanted to end their relationship to 'be with the new guy.' Campbell claims she stopped taking his calls and messages, and even blocked him on social media. She also took out an order of protection against him. In the claim, Campbell said he was given 'bad advice' by the the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, who he says failed to warn him about the risks of having someone else sign the winning ticket. Image: CTV News in 90 June 4th McKay allegedly told Campbell she wanted to end their relationship so she could be with the 'new guy,' according to the lawsuit. She then stopped taking Campbell's calls and answering his messages, blocked him on social media, and took out an order of protection against him, the lawsuit claimed. Campbell says he was given bad advice, which failed to warn him of the risks of having McKay sign the winning ticket. Her attorney told The Independent that she 'disputes the allegations made against her in the Statement of Claim' adding that she will be 'filing a Statement of Defence.'
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Lottery Love Gone Wrong: Canadian Man Claims His Girlfriend Pulled A Houdini With His Winnings
Love and money don't always go hand-in-hand, especially lottery wins; ask Lawrence Campbell, a Canadian man who claims he lost $3.6 million to his ex-girlfriend. The Winnipeg resident recently filed a legal complaint against his former lover, Krystal Ann McKay, accusing her of doing a complete 180 after claiming his lottery ticket. He also sued the Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries for allegedly influencing his losses. Campbell filed his allegations against McKay last month, claiming they were in a "loyal, committed, and promising" relationship when he bought himself a 6/49 lottery ticket. He said he made the purchase at the CanCo convenience store on Isabel Street on January 19, 2024. The Winnipeg man noted he gave the ticket to his then-girlfriend because he had lost his wallet. However, they both forgot about the lottery until he found the ticket on the floor of a friend's home days later. When Campbell scanned the ticket's barcode on his phone, he discovered he had won the Lotto 6/49 jackpot. Naturally, the news left Campbell and McKay elated, and they rushed over to a nearby Shoppers Drug Mart to record a video of them verifying their win. The couple believed they were in for a lifetime of happiness, but someone at the Western Canada Lottery Corporation crashed the party with bad news, per CTV News. Campbell recalled that the person he and McKay spoke to at the Western Canada Lottery Corporation told him he would not claim the money because he lacked a valid government-issued ID. Instead, he was advised to let his then-lover collect the winnings in her name. Unfortunately, Campbell didn't think much about it, given his blossoming relationship with McKay, and allowed her to collect the lottery jackpot publicly. At the time, she told reporters the lottery ticket was a gift from her boyfriend, and he echoed similar sentiments, noting she asked him to buy the ticket. Things began going south for Campbell after McKay deposited the $3.6 million into her bank account because he didn't have one. She allegedly began ghosting him days later until he found her in bed with another man. Once the cat was out of the bag, McKay dumped him and filed a protection order against him. Unlike Campbell, who allegedly forfeited his win to his girlfriend, thinking he could trust her, his namesake did not take any chances. In February 2019, a man identified as A. Campbell won the Super Lotto in Jamaica and claimed the $158,400,000 prize in a "Scream" mask. The man went fully incognito, rocking the slasher horror movie mask with a long coat, pants, and gloves. Although his face was hidden, he seemed pretty happy posing with the cheque, as seen in pictures shared by CBS News. Campbell was initially AWOL and took 54 days to claim the winning ticket. When asked why he cut it so close to the 90-day deadline, Campbell revealed the milestone had significantly affected his health. While others went wild with joy over the lottery, he fell ill after overthinking and trying to wrap his head around the once-in-a-lifetime achievement. In 2023, celebrity financial advisor Eszylfie Taylor shared essential tips for lottery winners with The Blast. He stressed that one shouldn't become overconfident with their achievement and focus on saving for a rainy day while enjoying their success. "I tell people to take the amount of money you want to live on on an annual basis, take that number, and multiply that by 20. That would be like your target savings number. As soon as you have that number, then my advice would be not to compromise that," Taylor explained. The financial advisor noted it was crucial to "integrate some level of safety and predictability" into one's plan and avoid risking it all, as many do when they have a large sum of money. Taylor believed it was better to live off the interest generated, adding that the goal wasn't how much money one makes but how much one keeps. Taylor's advice for lottery winners continued with tips on how to save more money instead of blowing it all. He noted that a good supportive environment was key, imploring lottery winners to align themselves with good people and a good team of professionals. The team should include a good investment advisor, a reasonable attorney, reputable bankers, as well as the ability to utilize the group as a collective effort. Additionally, lottery winners should have a clear set of objectives and educate themselves on investment plans before making decisions, rather than jumping in blindly. "My whole mantra in working with clients is to make sure they're educated. An educated client can then make their best decisions. Most people don't know the rules of the money game. And you can't win a game if you don't know the rules," Taylor stressed.
Yahoo
02-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Man who won $3.6 million lottery jackpot says girlfriend took the money and ‘ghosted' him
A man is suing his ex-girlfriend after she allegedly took their joint $3.6 million winning lottery ticket and 'ghosted' him. Lawrence Campbell of Winnipeg, Canada, filed the lawsuit against his ex-partner, Krystal Ann McKay, as well as Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries in May. Campbell claimed that he purchased the Lotto 6/49 ticket on January 19, 2024. At the time, Campbell and McKay were in a 'loyal, committed and promising' relationship, according to Campbell's documents viewed by CTV News. The lawsuit claimed Campbell handed McKay the ticket for safekeeping, as he had lost his wallet. He forgot about the purchase until he found the ticket on the floor at a friend's house days later. Campbell scanned the ticket's barcode on his phone, and 'that's when they found out he won, he couldn't believe it. He had won the Lotto 6/49 jackpot,' the claim read. The couple called friends and family to share their news before heading to a nearby Shoppers Drug Mart, where a video was recorded verifying their win of five million Canadian dollars. According to the lawsuit, someone at the Western Canada Lottery Corporation told the couple that Campbell would not be eligible to collect the winnings because he didn't have a valid government-issued ID. They were advised to have McKay collect their jackpot on the couple's behalf. At a news conference held January 30, 2024, the couple claimed the prize money in a giant check written out to McKay. 'It was really overwhelming, exciting,' McKay said at the time, noting the ticket was a birthday gift from Campbell. 'She had been asking me for three weeks to get a ticket, but I never went and got one,' Campbell added. 'Then we drove by one, and I was like 'OK, I might as well go get you one right now.'' McKay then deposited the winnings into her account because Campbell didn't have one. In the days after the win, the lawsuit alleged McKay didn't return to the hotel room she and Campbell were sharing. '(Campbell) states that that day he set out to visit a few of her known spots where she would party and sure enough after some investigation, he found her; in bed, with another guy,' the claim read, per CTV News. McKay allegedly told Campbell she wanted to end their relationship so she could be with the 'new guy,' according to the lawsuit. She then stopped taking Campbell's calls and answering his messages, blocked him on social media, and took out an order of protection against him, the lawsuit claimed. Campbell says he was given bad advice by the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, which failed to warn him of the risks of having McKay sign the winning ticket. McKay's attorney, Conor Williamson, told The Independent: 'Ms. McKay disputes the allegations made against her in the Statement of Claim and will be filing a Statement of Defence.' The Independent has reached out to the Western Canada Lottery Company and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries for comment.
Winnipeg Free Press
28-05-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bodog's bet on province a losing one: court
A judge has barred Bodog, an offshore online casino, from operating in Manitoba, after the Crown corporation responsible for gambling argued the illicit site had siphoned off a significant amount of its revenue. Bodog and its operators, which are registered in Antigua and Barbuda, break the law by offering unauthorized online gambling in the province, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries argued in a notice of application filed in the Manitoba Court of King's Bench earlier this year. Justice Jeffrey Harris agreed with the Crown corporation in an order issued Monday that prevents Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings Ltd. from allowing anyone in Manitoba to access their gambling services. 'This court orders and declares that the respondents have no lawful authority to offer online gambling products and services… or to advertise such online products and serves to persons located in Manitoba,' said Harris. He said the operator's activities constitute criminal offences related to gambling. The permanent injunction orders the companies and any affiliates or successors to cease operations in Manitoba and to implement geo-blocking technology on their website to prevent users from accessing it in Manitoba. The Crown corporation said advertising by the companies — which claimed websites and were lawful, 'safe' and 'trusted' in Manitoba — was false and misleading. Harris ordered the companies to cease advertising that is targeted or accessible to Manitobans on any form of physical, digital or online media. Harris, who is expected to write further reasons for his decision in the coming weeks, awarded court costs to the Crown corporation. Il Nido Ltd. and Sanctum IP Holdings failed to respond to the application in court, despite being served notice, the judge's order said. Earlier this year, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries said it filed the application on behalf of the Canadian Lottery Coalition, which represents Crown gaming authorities in Manitoba, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Quebec and Atlantic Canada. The coalition formed in 2022 to combat illegal online gambling in Canada. Federal law allows gambling only when managed and licensed by provincial governments. Liquor and Lotteries has sole authority over legal gaming in Manitoba, including on its regulated online platform, The Crown corporation has said in court filings it believes 'significant revenue' was diverted to Bodog. Coalition executive director William Hill said earlier this year that research conducted by gaming consultant H2 Gambling Capital estimated illegal online gaming costs Canadian public gaming corporations about $2 billion in revenue annually. Hill said Tuesday he could not comment further on the court order until the judge's full reasons for his decision are made public. Liquor and Lotteries said in its filing that online gambling has grown, in part because amendments to the Criminal Code in 2021 permitted single-event sports betting — gambling on a single game rather than multiple games — and the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the closing of casinos and boosted gambling on the web. That led the corporation to develop new rules and regulations on online gaming, including measures to prevent money laundering, the filing said. As a regulated site, protects gamblers from harms — unlike illicit sites — and puts money toward provincially funded programs such as health and education, MLL argued. It had sent cease-and-desist letters to Bodog, but the operator would not obey them. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
20-05-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘Ghosted' ex sues former girlfriend, says she took his $5-M lotto winnings
A Winnipeg man is suing his former romantic partner, alleging he unwittingly agreed to name her as the winner of a $5 million lottery ticket before she 'ghosted him' and ran off with the money. Lawrence Campbell filed the lawsuit in Manitoba Court of King's Bench on May 14, naming Krystal Ann McKay, the Western Canada Lottery Corp. and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries as defendants. The statement of claim alleges Campbell purchased the winning ticket from an Isabel Street convenience store in January 2024, but allowed McKay to claim it as her own after meeting with a lottery agent 'who lead (sic) the plaintiff to believe' he could not receive the winnings without presenting a valid, government-issued ID. Campbell, who also did not have an active bank account, agreed to allow McKay to sign the ticket and hold the winnings for him in trust, the lawsuit said. The pair had been dating for about 1 1/2 years, and shared a home and family, it said. SUPPLIED Krystal McKay claiming the $5 million Lotto 6/49 prize, January 20, 2024. SUPPLIED Krystal McKay claiming the $5 million Lotto 6/49 prize, January 20, 2024. 'The plaintiff had every reason to trust the spousal defendant as they were, at that time, in a loyal, committed and promising romantic partnership,' the lawsuit said. Less than two weeks after the money was transferred into McKay's account, Campbell alleges she did not return to a hotel room where they planned to stay the night together. 'He set out to visit a few of her known spots where she would party and sure enough after some investigation, he found her; in bed, with another guy,' the lawsuit said. 'In subsequent conversations with him, the spousal defendant mentioned to the plaintiff that she wished to terminate the relationship to be with this new guy.' McKay then cut all ties with Campbell, according to the claim. 'She ghosted him, refused to take his calls or answer his messages, she blocked him on her social media accounts; and even took out a protection order,' it said. None of the claims have been tested in court, and the defendants have not issued statements of defence. The lawsuit claims Campbell is entitled to the $5 million because he purchased the ticket. It asks the courts to issue a constructive trust over the winnings and award assorted damages in favour of Campbell. A constructive trust is a legal tool that can transfer ownership of money or property to one party, without the consent of the other. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. 'Nowhere in the law is it permitted for someone who alone purchased a winning lottery ticket to effectively be defrauded by a former romantic partner and then held, by operation of the law, a lottery loser; This case will not be the exception,' Campbell's lawyer, Chad Panting, said in a statement to the Free Press. 'Mr. Campbell alone won the January 20th 2024, lotto-649 Classic jackpot and intends on proving it in court, if necessary.' The lawsuit claims the Western Canada Lottery Corp. provided improper advice to Campbell, and accuses Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries of having deficient or non-existent oversight when disbursing the funds — making both organizations vicariously liable, it said. The lottery corporations jointly issued a news release on Jan. 30, 2024, announcing McKay as the winner of $5-million lottery prize and the first Manitoban to become a lotto millionaire that year. It said McKay's partner gave her the winning lottery ticket as a birthday gift. Campbell's lawsuit does not mention a birthday gift, instead saying he purchased the ticket himself, but asked her to hold onto it because he 'had recently lost his wallet.' Two days later, Campbell found the ticket on the floor at a friend's house and realized it was a winner after checking the numbers on his cellphone. He and McKay then went to scan the ticket at a Shoppers Drug Mart and filmed a video of them celebrating together, the lawsuit said. In the lottery release, McKay is quoted as saying she 'screamed' when she checked the winning numbers, and she immediately called her sister who began to scream, as well. 'I was so excited and crying — I just couldn't believe it,' McKay said in the release. The release said McKay planned to spend the money on her children and buy a home for her family. The Free Press was unable to reach McKay for comment Tuesday. Neither lottery corporation responded to requests for comment. Tyler SearleReporter Tyler Searle is a multimedia producer who writes for the Free Press's city desk. A graduate of Red River College Polytechnic's creative communications program, he wrote for the Stonewall Teulon Tribune, Selkirk Record and Express Weekly News before joining the paper in 2022. Read more about Tyler. Every piece of reporting Tyler produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
