Canadian Lottery Winners Who Lost It All

Many Canadian gamblers can only dream of winning millions in lottery games such as Lotto 6/49 and Lotto Max. Here at CasinoGrizzly you can play all sort of online casino games including online lottery at the best online lottery sites in Canada. But although winning a lottery will solve most of your life problems, some gamblers’ lives become even worse after hitting the jackpot.

If you still don’t believe it, below is a tale of famous Canadian winners who lost everything after winning the lottery. Some stories are funny, though!

Mr Moore’s wife steals his ticket

They say that love conquers all but a lottery win does, as was the case between Mr and Mrs Moore. When Mr Moore won a $3.49 million lottery ticket in April 2008, he didn’t know it would lead to a messy and noisy divorce battle with Mary Patricia More, his wife of ten years. The 81-year-old accused his wife and stepdaughters of ganging up to deny him the jackpot.

According to his lawyer, the complainant said his wife manipulated his HBP medication to render him emotionally, psychologically, and physically incapable. But in a quick response, Mrs Moore said those were “ridiculous allegations” as she had no medical training to manipulate the medication. The couple parted before the end of the trial.

Sharon Tirabassi’s reckless spending

Sharon Tirabassi, is the true definition of grace to grass, or is it the vice-versa? After winning a C$10.5 million lottery in 2004, the resident of Hamilton, Ontario, lived the life. She bought a big house, a sports car, designer clothes, and attended lavish parties. But due to a lack of proper financial advice, she’s currently broke, working part-time and renting a house.

Thankfully, the mother of six stashed part of the windfall in a trust, which they will access after turning 26. In an interview, she also told The Spec that she gave her parents C$1 million and divided C$1.75 million among her siblings. Today, she regrets the exotic trips to California, Florida, Cancun, and of course, Las Vegas.

Another spicy divorce featuring Raymond Sobeski

It seems like lottery wins are the catalysts of divorce in Ontario. In 2004, Sobeski won a C$30 million lottery only to have it frozen by the courts pending a legal hearing from one of his exes. David Aston, Ontario Superior Court judge, froze Sobeski’s assets after marital asset claims from Nynna Ionson, who Sobeski married in 1998.

During the hearing, Ionson claimed that Sobeski tried to hide his Super 7 jackpot win from her. She also argued that the windfall should be counted as a marital asset because the couple were not officially divorced. According to the law, Ionson would claim half of Sobeski’s assets if a divorce materializes. And to add salt to injury, Sherry, Sobeski’s second wife, was also mulling legal action for child support. Poor guy!

Hafiz Malik jailed for stealing lottery win

If you think the other lottery cases are funny/sad, wait until you read this. In 2004, Lorraine Teicht bought a lottery ticket at Malik’s store in Lansdowne Avenue, Toronto. Before this, she and her co-workers had been saving money to play the same numbers on Lotto 6/49 for years. She purchased the ticket in Orillia, Ontario.

Luckily for Teicht, Malik informed her that she had won a payout, but only C$10. Her colleagues smelt a rat, hence hiring a private investigator who told them that their ticket was worth C$5.7 million. The police finally resolved the mystery, arresting Malik in December 2007. Malik was found guilty and had to return the total amount plus C$800,000 interest to the actual lottery winners. As if that was not enough, he got one year in jail. He apologized for his actions.

Gerald Muswagon’s tragic end

In 1998, Gerald Muswagon, a resident of Manitoba, scored a C$10 million lottery win with a mere C$2 ticket on the legendary Super 7. For Gerald, this was the elusive opportunity he had been looking for to start living large. He bought a big home, expensive electronics, luxury cars, and other good things in life. As expected, he spoilt his friends and loved ones with expensive gifts and lavish parties. He also opened a business called Gerald’s Logging for cutting lumber.

Unfortunately for Gerald, his company flopped because it lacked adequate attention and a lack of market. Due to frustrations, he spent a fortune partying and drinking with friends. It didn’t take long for Gerald to realize that he was bankrupt. Things got even worse in 2002 when he lost his wife before being sentenced to a 3-month jail term in 2005 for sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman. Gerald decided to hang himself inside his parent’s garage in 2005.

These sad stories prove that winning the lottery is not a sure ticket to a happy and prosperous life. Some people turn out even worse than they were before the lottery wins. Others, like Gerald, even resort to committing suicide. So, gamble responsibly and invest wisely if you win the lottery. Good luck!