$50m Canada Lottery Dispute Resolved
Just before going to court to settle a $50 million lottery dispute, the parties involved managed to reach an agreement.
The private settlement was announced just before the start of the second day of trial which would have determined the true winners of a January, 2011 Lotto Max jackpot.
Twenty four Bombadier workers in Downsview, Ont. were the winners of the $50 million prize as members of a work lottery syndicate.
It was announced at the time that each would take home about $1.9 million in prize money.
However, their former colleague, Christopher Bates, who was working with the 24 on the plant at the time, challenged the payout, saying that he was also part of the syndicate and had been left out.
Millionaire Co-Workers After Lottery Win
When the 24 Bombadier workers learned of their Lotto Max win, their co-worker, Christopher Bates was on winter holiday and didn't partake in the purchase of that week's ticket.
However, when he returned from his vacation and found that his co-workers were $50 million richer, he challenged the payout, saying that he and several other workers were entitled to some of the winnings because they were in the lottery pool.
Bates himself claimed that he had actually started the winning pool. Because they were on holiday, however, their contribution wasn't made in the week of the lottery draw.
Jackpot Win Challenged
Lottery officials did not immediately pay the money out to the Bombadier workers, as is the practice when a jackpot is challenged, and investigated the claims.
The Ontario Lottery Corporation then divided the $50 million jackpot into 26 equal parts, paying out the 24 workers and two more shares being held by the court.
Several people came forward to challenge the win - not just Bates - but the lottery dismissed all claims except two.
As noted, Bates managed to reach an undisclosed settlement with the Bombadier workers out of court, while the other claim is still to be discussed.
