Canada Man Gives Girlfriend Rs 30 Crore Lottery Winnings, She Runs Away With Lover

A Canadian man is taking his ex-girlfriend to court, claiming she ran off with his CA$5 million (about Rs 30 crore) lottery jackpot with her lover.

Lawrence Campbell from Winnipeg claims he purchased the winning ticket in 2024, but couldn't claim the prize himself as he did not have a valid ID. On the advice of lottery officials, he asked his then-girlfriend, Krystal Ann McKay, to collect the prize from Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) on his behalf.

Mr Campbell says he trusted Ms McKay fully. They had been in a "loyal, committed and promising romantic partnership" for over a year and a half and were living together, he told CTV News. Since he also didn't have a bank account, he allowed her to deposit the winnings in her name.

Initially, things seemed fine. The couple recorded a video verifying the win at a Shoppers Drug Mart and posed for publicity photos with an oversized cheque. Though Ms McKay looked less than thrilled in the pictures, the win was publicly described as a birthday gift from Mr Campbell to her.

"She had been asking me for three weeks to get a ticket, but I never went and got one," Mr Campbell said. "Then we drove by one, and I was like 'OK, I might as well go get you one right now.'"

Within days, Mr Campbell says Ms McKay disappeared. She didn't return to their shared hotel room and cut off all contact. When he eventually found her, she was "in bed with another guy", as per the lawsuit.

"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," Mr Campbell's lawyer told CTV News.

Ms McKay has denied all allegations, her lawyer confirmed.

Mr Campbell's lawsuit, filed in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench, also names the WCLC and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. He accuses the agencies of giving poor advice and failing to warn him about the risks of having someone else claim a lottery prize on his behalf.

"This case is about systemic karma versus the system itself," said Mr Campbell's lawyer. "A situation created, or at least enabled, by the state-owned lottery corporations administering claims in Manitoba."