Latest news with #KrystalMcKay
CTV News
09-07-2025
- CTV News
Manitoba man in $5M lotto fight says money is his; denies ticket was a gift
Krystal McKay and Lawrence Campbell (right) pose after receiving a $5 million Lotto 6/49 win on January 30, 2024. (Jamie Dowsett/CTV News Winnipeg) A Manitoba man whose then-girlfriend claimed a $5 million jackpot lottery says the money is his—and not a birthday gift to her. Krystal Ann McKay is being sued by her ex-boyfriend Lawrence Campbell over a winning Lotto 6/49 ticket purchased in January 2024. Per a statement of claim filed with the Manitoba Court of King's Bench on May 14, Campbell alleges he purchased the ticket himself at the Canco convenience store on Isabel Street. The claim said he then handed it to McKay as he 'had recently lost his wallet.' A few days later, Campbell alleges he scanned the ticket—which was discarded on the ground at a friend's house—with an app on his phone, only to realize he had won. The claim says that after the pair spoke with an agent of the Western Canada Lottery Corporation, Campbell was told that he would be unable to claim the winnings as he did not have valid identification. Instead, the claim alleges he was told to let McKay publicly claim the winnings, which she successfully deposited, as Campbell did not have an active bank account. McKay then terminated the relationship, 'ghosted him,' and refused to answer his calls or messages, according to the statement of claim. In a statement of defence, McKay says the ticket was gifted to her as a birthday present—which Campbell denies in a recent court filing. 'The Plaintiff [Campbell] is not someone who buys and gives a romantic partner lotto tickets for their birthday,' reads the reply to the statement of defence filed on July 8. The filing says that McKay's birthday, which was the day after the lotto ticket was purchased, was a 'coincidence.' The reply also refutes McKay's claim that she told him that she wanted to end the relationship in December 2023. 'Nobody buys gifts for someone who, allegedly, broke up with them the month prior, or at all and ever again,' it reads. Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries Corporation are also named as defendants in the lawsuit. 'There were admitted key omissions of risk consultations and discussions and independent legal advice omissions by both (corporations),' reads the reply to the statement of defence. 'Ownership of the ticket was never lawfully executed': court filing In a statement of defence filed on July 2, Western Canada Lottery Corporation said Campbell signed a release days after the lottery draw indicating he had no claim against the corporation regarding the ticket or prize. However, Campbell's reply says that 'ownership of the ticket was never lawfully executed, released or transferred' due to 'several critical deficiencies' with the release. This includes not being signed with Campbell's 'ordinary cursive signature,' missing identity information for the witness, not capturing the signature under seal and not fulfilling the ID verification requirement. The corporation also denies that it advised Campbell, or led him to believe, that he was ineligible to claim the winnings and that McKay should publicly claim the prize. Both corporations deny that Campbell is entitled to the lottery winnings and call for the lawsuit to be dismissed in their statements of defence. In June 2025, a temporary injunction was granted to prevent McKay from selling or transferring anything she owns over $3,500 until further notice. CTV News has reached out to both corporations for comment. McKay's lawyer said they have no comments. None of the claims have been tested in court. -With files from CTV's Daniel Halmarson
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Woman sued by former partner over $5M lottery prize claims she was rightful winner
A Manitoba woman who is being sued by her former boyfriend in a dispute over a $5-million lottery prize says she is the lawful winner of the lottery money and at the time of the win, the man did not dispute that she was the ticket holder. Krystal McKay was presented with the Lotto 6/49 prize in January 2024, but her former boyfriend, Lawrence Campbell, filed a lawsuit in May of this year claiming he purchased the winning ticket and was its sole owner, making him entitled to the prize. His lawsuit alleged he granted McKay permission to claim the lottery ticket and hold the winnings in trust for him because he didn't have an active bank account or government-issued photo ID at the time. In a defence statement filed in court June 27, McKay alleges that on the day before her birthday in January 2024, she and Campbell were driving past a Winnipeg convenience store when she asked him to stop and buy her a lottery ticket. After he did that, she put the ticket in her wallet. "There was no discussion at this time, or at all, that it was not [McKay's] ticket," her statement of defence claims. It also says that when McKay signed the winning ticket at a Shoppers Drug Mart store, there was no discussion about McKay claiming the winnings on Campbell's behalf. She and Campbell went to the office of the Western Canada Lottery Corporation — the non-profit corporation that manages lotteries for several provincial governments, including Lotto 6/49 — to sign a number of documents on Jan. 22, 2024, where she "claimed to be the lawful holder of the ticket" and that "no other person had any interest or right to … any portion of the prize," her defence statement says. Campbell "was present with her and did not dispute this or suggest otherwise," and signed a WCLC release in which "he acknowledged he did not have any claim to, or interest in, the ticket or any prize resulting," according to the court document. When asked by WCLC whether he was making a claim to the money, Campbell said the ticket belonged to McKay, "as it was purchased for her," her defence statement says. It also says there was never any discussion between the two about McKay claiming the prize on behalf of Campbell because of a lack of government-issued identification, the document says. While Campbell's lawsuit claims McKay "ghosted" him, refusing to take his calls after the win, McKay alleges that in December 2023, prior to the lottery win, she had told Campbell she wanted to end their relationship. Her defence statement also denies Campbell's allegation that he found her in bed with another man in the month after the lottery win, and she denies the claim she "used the conflict between them to deprive [Campbell] from access to his rightful monies." Her allegations have not been tested in court. Campbell's lawyer filed a court motion asking a judge for an order to prevent McKay from giving away any of her money or selling other assets while the lawsuit is in progress. After a June 13 court hearing, a judge issued an interim injunction prohibiting McKay from selling or transferring any real estate, vehicles or other property she owns that has a value of more than $3,500, until there's a further order from the court. The injunction applies to things McKay acquired after receiving the lottery money. Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation are also named as defendants in Campbell's lawsuit. In a defence statement filed Monday by Liquor & Lotteries, the Crown corporation denies the allegations in the lawsuit, saying its responsibilities are limited to the distribution and marketing of lottery games. The corporation "specifically denies that it was responsible for prize investigation, prize authorization, or prize payouts," its statement of defence says. In response to the lawsuit, Liquor & Lotteries says it "acted within the scope of its duties" and did nothing to cause any "legally compensable harm" to Campbell. Campbell's lawyer Chad Panting disputes that. "Should a player-funded Crown corporation really be denying their duties owed to their most vulnerable players?" he wrote in a statement to CBC. He pointed to Liquor & Lotteries' "play responsibly" messaging, saying the Crown corporation should "embody their very own 'lotto motto.'" Campbell also provided a statement issued through his lawyer, directly referencing McKay. "I was in love with you and would have done (nearly) anything for you," Campbell wrote, but "[you] abused it and me for your benefit."
Yahoo
03-07-2025
- Yahoo
Woman sued by former partner over $5M lottery prize claims she was rightful winner
A Manitoba woman who is being sued by her former boyfriend in a dispute over a $5-million lottery prize says she is the lawful winner of the lottery money and at the time of the win, the man did not dispute that she was the ticket holder. Krystal McKay was presented with the Lotto 6/49 prize in January 2024, but her former boyfriend, Lawrence Campbell, filed a lawsuit in May of this year claiming he purchased the winning ticket and was its sole owner, making him entitled to the prize. His lawsuit alleged he granted McKay permission to claim the lottery ticket and hold the winnings in trust for him because he didn't have an active bank account or government-issued photo ID at the time. In a defence statement filed in court June 27, McKay alleges that on the day before her birthday in January 2024, she and Campbell were driving past a Winnipeg convenience store when she asked him to stop and buy her a lottery ticket. After he did that, she put the ticket in her wallet. "There was no discussion at this time, or at all, that it was not [McKay's] ticket," her statement of defence claims. It also says that when McKay signed the winning ticket at a Shoppers Drug Mart store, there was no discussion about McKay claiming the winnings on Campbell's behalf. She and Campbell went to the office of the Western Canada Lottery Corporation — the non-profit corporation that manages lotteries for several provincial governments, including Lotto 6/49 — to sign a number of documents on Jan. 22, 2024, where she "claimed to be the lawful holder of the ticket" and that "no other person had any interest or right to … any portion of the prize," her defence statement says. Campbell "was present with her and did not dispute this or suggest otherwise," and signed a WCLC release in which "he acknowledged he did not have any claim to, or interest in, the ticket or any prize resulting," according to the court document. When asked by WCLC whether he was making a claim to the money, Campbell said the ticket belonged to McKay, "as it was purchased for her," her defence statement says. It also says there was never any discussion between the two about McKay claiming the prize on behalf of Campbell because of a lack of government-issued identification, the document says. While Campbell's lawsuit claims McKay "ghosted" him, refusing to take his calls after the win, McKay alleges that in December 2023, prior to the lottery win, she had told Campbell she wanted to end their relationship. Her defence statement also denies Campbell's allegation that he found her in bed with another man in the month after the lottery win, and she denies the claim she "used the conflict between them to deprive [Campbell] from access to his rightful monies." Her allegations have not been tested in court. Campbell's lawyer filed a court motion asking a judge for an order to prevent McKay from giving away any of her money or selling other assets while the lawsuit is in progress. After a June 13 court hearing, a judge issued an interim injunction prohibiting McKay from selling or transferring any real estate, vehicles or other property she owns that has a value of more than $3,500, until there's a further order from the court. The injunction applies to things McKay acquired after receiving the lottery money. Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation are also named as defendants in Campbell's lawsuit. In a defence statement filed Monday by Liquor & Lotteries, the Crown corporation denies the allegations in the lawsuit, saying its responsibilities are limited to the distribution and marketing of lottery games. The corporation "specifically denies that it was responsible for prize investigation, prize authorization, or prize payouts," its statement of defence says. In response to the lawsuit, Liquor & Lotteries says it "acted within the scope of its duties" and did nothing to cause any "legally compensable harm" to Campbell. Campbell's lawyer Chad Panting disputes that. "Should a player-funded Crown corporation really be denying their duties owed to their most vulnerable players?" he wrote in a statement to CBC. He pointed to Liquor & Lotteries' "play responsibly" messaging, saying the Crown corporation should "embody their very own 'lotto motto.'" Campbell also provided a statement issued through his lawyer, directly referencing McKay. "I was in love with you and would have done (nearly) anything for you," Campbell wrote, but "[you] abused it and me for your benefit."
CTV News
03-07-2025
- CTV News
Statement of defence filed in lotto ticket lawsuit
A woman being sued by her ex-boyfriend over a winning lottery ticket has filed a statement of defence, saying she doesn't owe him a cent. Daniel Halmarson repor A Manitoba woman who won the lottery last year says the ticket was a gift and the $5 million jackpot is rightfully hers—and hers alone. Krystal McKay is being sued by her ex-boyfriend Lawrence Campbell over a Lotto 6/49 ticket purchased in January 2024. According to a statement of claim filed on May 14, Campbell alleges he bought the ticket for himself and asked McKay to hold onto it because he recently lost his wallet. A few days later, Campbell alleges he scanned the ticket's bar code on his phone and discovered he won the jackpot prize. However, Campbell claims he was told by a Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) agent he couldn't claim the winnings because he didn't have valid identification or an open bank account. Instead, he alleges he was instructed to let McKay publicly claim the prize and hold onto the money until he got his affairs in order. In a statement of defence filed in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench on June 27, McKay says Campbell gave her the ticket as a birthday present. After checking the winning numbers online, McKay said the duo went to Shopper's Drug Mart where she scanned and signed the ticket with Campbell recording the moment on a cellphone. 'The plaintiff stated in the video he recorded that 'his girl won the lotto,'' the statement of defence alleges. 'At no point did he state he won.' McKay said they went to the Western Canada Lottery Corporation in the following days where she signed documents stating she was the sole owner of the ticket. 'The plaintiff was present with her and did not dispute this or suggest otherwise,' the court documents said. McKay said there was never a discussion between the couple – or with the lottery corporation – that she was claiming the prize on his behalf. Further, she alleges Campbell signed a release stating 'he did not have any claim to, or interest in, the ticket or any prize resulting to the ticket holder.' Campbell's lawsuit claims she dumped him shortly after, but McKay said she asked to end their relationship in December 2023 – a month prior to the lottery win. Campbell claims she 'ghosted him' by cutting off contact and alleges she filed a protection order again him. McKay denied both of those allegations in her statement. None of the claims have been tested in court. In an email, Campbell's lawyer Chad Panting told CTV News Winnipeg that the defence filed by McKay is 'logically contrarian, emotionally aggressive, and legally unsound at every turn. Let alone patently unreasonable.' In June, a Manitoba judge issued an injunction prohibiting McKay from selling or transferring anything of value she's purchased since the lottery win until the lawsuit is settled. The Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries were also named as defendants in the case. The lawsuit alleges Campbell was given bad advice and wasn't warned of the inherent risk of allowing his then-partner to claim the winnings. Both corporations filed statements of defence in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench this week. The corporations said they either deny the allegations or have no knowledge of them. The statements say they do not owe a duty of care to Campbell, and they ask that the claim be dismissed with costs.
CBC
03-07-2025
- CBC
Woman sued by former partner over $5M lottery prize claims she was rightful winner
A Manitoba woman who is being sued by her former boyfriend in a dispute over a $5-million lottery prize says she is the lawful winner of the lottery money and at the time of the win, the man did not dispute that she was the ticket holder. Krystal McKay was presented with the Lotto 6/49 prize in January 2024, but her former boyfriend, Lawrence Campbell, filed a lawsuit in May of this year claiming he purchased the winning ticket and was its sole owner, making him entitled to the prize. His lawsuit alleged he granted McKay permission to claim the lottery ticket and hold the winnings in trust for him because he didn't have an active bank account or government-issued photo ID at the time. In a defence statement filed in court June 27, McKay alleges that on the day before her birthday in January 2024, she and Campbell were driving past a Winnipeg convenience store when she asked him to stop and buy her a lottery ticket. After he did that, she put the ticket in her wallet. "There was no discussion at this time, or at all, that it was not [McKay's] ticket," her statement of defence claims. It also says that when McKay signed the winning ticket at a Shoppers Drug Mart store, there was no discussion about McKay claiming the winnings on Campbell's behalf. She and Campbell went to the office of the Western Canada Lottery Corporation — the non-profit corporation that manages lotteries for several provincial governments, including Lotto 6/49 — to sign a number of documents on Jan. 22, 2024, where she "claimed to be the lawful holder of the ticket" and that "no other person had any interest or right to … any portion of the prize," her defence statement says. Campbell "was present with her and did not dispute this or suggest otherwise," and signed a WCLC release in which "he acknowledged he did not have any claim to, or interest in, the ticket or any prize resulting," according to the court document. When asked by WCLC whether he was making a claim to the money, Campbell said the ticket belonged to McKay, "as it was purchased for her," her defence statement says. It also says there was never any discussion between the two about McKay claiming the prize on behalf of Campbell because of a lack of government-issued identification, the document says. While Campbell's lawsuit claims McKay "ghosted" him, refusing to take his calls after the win, McKay alleges that in December 2023, prior to the lottery win, she had told Campbell she wanted to end their relationship. Her defence statement also denies Campbell's allegation that he found her in bed with another man in the month after the lottery win, and she denies the claim she "used the conflict between them to deprive [Campbell] from access to his rightful monies." Her allegations have not been tested in court. Court injunction prevents sale of assets Campbell's lawyer filed a court motion asking a judge for an order to prevent McKay from giving away any of her money or selling other assets while the lawsuit is in progress. After a June 13 court hearing, a judge issued an interim injunction prohibiting McKay from selling or transferring any real estate, vehicles or other property she owns that has a value of more than $3,500, until there's a further order from the court. The injunction applies to things McKay acquired after receiving the lottery money. Western Canada Lottery Corporation and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corporation are also named as defendants in Campbell's lawsuit. In a defence statement filed Monday by Liquor & Lotteries, the Crown corporation denies the allegations in the lawsuit, saying its responsibilities are limited to the distribution and marketing of lottery games. The corporation "specifically denies that it was responsible for prize investigation, prize authorization, or prize payouts," its statement of defence says. In response to the lawsuit, Liquor & Lotteries says it "acted within the scope of its duties" and did nothing to cause any "legally compensable harm" to Campbell. Campbell's lawyer Chad Panting disputes that. "Should a player-funded Crown corporation really be denying their duties owed to their most vulnerable players?" he wrote in a statement to CBC. He pointed to Liquor & Lotteries' "play responsibly" messaging, saying the Crown corporation should "embody their very own 'lotto motto.'" Campbell also provided a statement issued through his lawyer, directly referencing McKay.
