Latest news with #WCLC
03-07-2025
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. Woman sues ex-boyfriend for half of $6M lottery prize (new window) 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. Vera-Lynn Kubinec (new window) · CBC News
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.
Winnipeg Free Press
02-07-2025
- Business
- Winnipeg Free Press
Lotto corporation denies liability in lawsuit over $5-M ticket
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries says it isn't liable in the legal tussle over a $5-million lottery win between a woman and her ex-boyfriend. The Crown corporation issued a statement of defence that argues the claim against it, filed by the ex-boyfriend on May 14, has no merit and must be dismissed. '(MLL) specifically denies that it was responsible for prize investigation, prize authorization or prize payouts,' reads its court filing. SUPPLIED Krystal McKay claiming the $5 million Lotto 6/49 draw on Jan. 20, 2024. It's the latest development in the case launched by Winnipegger Lawrence Campbell against Krystal McKay, which also names Liquor & Lotteries and the Western Canada Lottery Corp. as defendants, over the winning Lotto 6/49 ticket purchased in January 2024. 'This action ought to be dismissed as against (MLL), with costs,' reads the Crown corporation's statement of defence, which was filed Monday. Campbell argues he bought the ticket for himself, but allowed McKay to claim it as her own, believing he could not receive the money unless he had government-issued ID and an active bank account. He claims she 'ghosted' him and absconded with the money. In her statement of defence, McKay claims Campbell purchased the ticket as a present for her one day before her birthday, meaning the money is rightfully hers. She said there was no discussion about him getting the cash. Campbell's lawsuit claims the Western Canada Lottery Corp. provided improper advice to him and it accuses Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries of having deficient or non-existent oversight when the money was disbursed. The suit argues both entities are vicariously liable. Liquor & Lotteries says it does not conduct, manage or operate WCLC's games, including Lotto 6/49. Its responsibilities were limited to distributing and marketing the lotto, it says. The lottery corporations jointly held a news conference on Jan. 30, 2024, to announce McKay as the winner of the $5-million lottery prize and the first Manitoban to become a lotto millionaire that year. Liquor & Lotteries says WCLC invited it to the news conference as its marketing partner. It denies any responsibility for Campbell's claims. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. 'At all material times, (Liquor & Lotteries) acted within the scope of its duties and in accordance with its obligations pursuant to applicable legislation and that no act or omission by it was the cause of any legally compensable harm suffered by the plaintiff,' argue the court filings. WCLC has yet to file its statement of defence. On June 13, a judge ordered McKay's assets temporarily frozen and approved an injunction that temporarily prohibits her from selling or transferring real estate, vehicles or anything that has a value greater than $3,500, while the case proceeds through court. The order only applies to property and items McKay purchased after the $5 million was deposited into her bank account. 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
01-07-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Woman in $5-M lotto fight with ex says money is hers
The woman being sued by her ex-boyfriend over a $5-million lottery ticket says it was a gift and she is the rightful winner. In a statement of defence filed in the Court of King's Bench on June 27, Krystal McKay claims Lawrence Campbell purchased the Lotto 6/49 ticket for her one day before her birthday as a present. In a lawsuit filed May 14, Campbell claimed he bought the ticket in January 2024, but allowed McKay to claim it as her own — believing he could not receive the money unless he had government-issued ID and an active bank account. SUPPLIED Krystal McKay claimed the $5-million Lotto 6/49 prize on Jan. 20, 2024. McKay said in court papers no such discussion occurred. 'There was never a discussion between the parties, nor with (Western Canada Lottery Corp.), as to this defendant claiming the prize on behalf of the plaintiff due to his lack of government-issued identification,' the court filing says. McKay and Campbell went to the WCLC building on Jan. 22, 2024 to claim the prize money, the statement of defence said. There, McKay signed multiple documents, including one in which she claimed to be the lawful holder of the ticket. 'The plaintiff was present with her and did not dispute this or suggest otherwise,' the statement of defence reads. Campbell signed a release of claim, which acknowledged he did not have any claim to, or interest in, the ticket or corresponding prize, the court papers say. Campbell's lawsuit claims the pair were in a 'loyal, committed and promising romantic partnership' at the time and accuses McKay of cutting contact with him shortly after the funds were deposited in her bank account. McKay's lawyers minimized that claim in the statement of defence, and said they had dated on and off following the death of Campbell's mother in 2022. In fact, McKay asked that they end the relationship in December 2023, one month before the lotto win, the statement of defence says. McKay denies she 'ghosted' Campbell or refused to take his phone calls or answer his messages. Campbell's suit claims she took out a restraining order against him after the lotto win, which she denied. The court filing claims McKay had the ticket in her wallet and, one morning after waking up in a friend's basement, Campbell saw the ticket on the floor and asked McKay to check the numbers. 'The plaintiff saw the lottery ticket and handed it to her for her to check, at which time she went directly to the Lotto 6/49 website … when this defendant realized she won, she advised the plaintiff… The plaintiff never stated, nor was it discussed that he had won the Lotto 6/49 jackpot,' the court papers say. The statement of defence says a video taken by Campbell at the 777 Sherbrook St. Shoppers Drug Mart shows McKay confirming the winnings. Campbell states in the video his 'girl won the lotto.' The lottery corporations jointly issued a news release on Jan. 30, 2024, announcing McKay as the winner of the $5-million prize. It said McKay's partner gave her the winning ticket as a birthday gift. Campbell's lawsuit denied he bought the ticket 'solely as a birthday gift,' instead saying he purchased the ticket himself, but asked her to hold onto it because he 'had recently lost his wallet.' Campbell's lawyer, Chad Panting, called the statement of defence 'absurd, ungracious and selfish.' 'It doesn't surprise (Campbell) that Miss McKay would deny the allegations, but to deny the 'trust' inherent in accepting such a 'romantic birthday gift' from a 'romantic partner' in a 'romantic relationship,' itself in such a selfish manner, is what goes too far for the plaintiff, and only compounds his shock, disbelief and emotional heartbreak,' Panting said in a statement to the Free Press Monday. On June 13, Court of King's Bench Justice Brian Bowman ordered McKay's assets frozen and approved a temporary injunction prohibiting her from selling or transferring real estate, vehicles or anything that has a value greater than $3,500 while the case proceeds. Tuesdays A weekly look at politics close to home and around the world. The order only applies to property and items McKay purchased after the $5 million was deposited into her bank account. The court compelled her to provide a list of her assets worth more than $3,500, so it can be reviewed by lawyers. Campbell's lawsuit also names the WCLC and Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries as defendants. It claims the WCLC provided improper advice to Campbell, and accuses Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries of having deficient or non-existent oversight when disbursing the funds. The claims haven't been tested in court. The WCLC and Liquor & Lotteries haven't issued statements of defence. Nicole BuffieMultimedia producer Nicole Buffie is a multimedia producer who reports for the Free Press city desk. Born and bred in Winnipeg, Nicole graduated from Red River College's Creative Communications program in 2020 and worked as a reporter throughout Manitoba before joining the Free Press newsroom in 2023. Read more about Nicole. Every piece of reporting Nicole 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.
