Canada Man Gifts ₹30 Crore Lottery Winnings To Girlfriend, She Decamps With All Money Along With Her lover

A Canadian man has taken legal action against his former girlfriend, alleging that she absconded with his CA$5 million (approximately ₹30 crore) lottery winnings and is now living with her new partner.

Lawrence Campbell, from Winnipeg, said that he bought the winning ticket in 2024 but was unable to claim the prize himself due to not possessing valid identification.

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On the advice of lottery officials, he asked his then-girlfriend, Krystal Ann McKay, to collect the winnings from the Western Canada Lottery Corporation (WCLC) on his behalf.

Campbell stated that he had complete trust in McKay, describing their relationship as a "loyal, committed and promising romantic partnership" that had lasted over 18 months, during which they lived together.

As he also did not have a bank account, he agreed to let her deposit the money into her own.

At first, everything appeared to be going smoothly. The couple even filmed a video at a Shoppers Drug Mart to confirm the win and posed together for publicity photographs holding an oversized cheque.

While McKay appeared less than enthusiastic in the images, the lottery win was publicly described as a birthday present from Campbell to her.

"She had been asking me for three weeks to get a ticket, but I never went and got one," Campbell said.

"Then we drove by one, and I was like 'OK, I might as well go get you one right now.'"

However, just days later, Campbell claims McKay vanished. She allegedly failed to return to their shared hotel room and ceased all contact. When he did manage to track her down, she was reportedly "in bed with another guy", according to the court documents.

"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," Campbell's lawyer told CTV News.

McKay has denied all allegations, her legal representative confirmed.

Campbell has now filed a lawsuit in Manitoba's Court of King's Bench, which also names the WCLC and Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries.

He accuses the organisations of giving misleading advice and failing to properly warn him about the potential risks of allowing someone else to claim lottery winnings on his behalf.

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