A Winnipeg man is suing his former girlfriend after she allegedly took his $3.6 million lottery prize and disappeared.
Lawrence Campbell claims he bought the winning Lotto 6/49 ticket in January 2024 as a birthday gift for his girlfriend, Krystal McKay. When the couple accepted the prize together on January 30, they smiled for cameras and posed with a giant check — but Campbell now says it was all a facade.
In a lawsuit filed last month, Campbell alleges he bought the ticket on January 19 after McKay had repeatedly asked for one. He says he gave her the ticket for safekeeping because he had just lost his wallet. Later, he found the ticket at a friend’s house and scanned it, realizing he had won.
When the pair went to claim the prize, Campbell says lottery officials told him he could not collect the winnings without a valid government-issued ID. According to his lawsuit, he agreed to let McKay sign the ticket and claim the money under her name, with the understanding that she would hold the funds until he got proper ID and opened a bank account.
Instead, McKay allegedly deposited the entire amount into her own bank account. Less than two weeks later, she stopped returning calls and messages, and Campbell claims she never came back to their hotel room.
He says he later found her with another man and discovered she had taken out a protection order against him.
Campbell is now suing for the full prize amount, arguing that McKay agreed to act as a trustee and that the winnings were rightfully his. He describes their relationship as a “loyal, committed and promising romantic partnership” that made him believe she could be trusted with the ticket.
McKay denies all allegations. Her lawyer has stated she will file a statement of defense in court.
Lottery officials remind players to always sign their tickets immediately after purchase and keep them secure. According to the Virginia Lottery, “A ticket is a bearer instrument. By signing it, you protect yourself.”
