B.C. Court of Appeal dismisses lawsuit over $50M lottery jackpot awarded in 2015

A B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed George Wilson-Tagoe’s case last September, saying there was no evidence he bought the winning ticket for the March 2014 Lotto Max draw. (Photo: Lotto Max/ Facebook)

VANCOUVER—A British Columbia man has lost an appeal to pursue a lawsuit claiming his right to a $50 million lottery prize.

A B.C. Supreme Court judge dismissed George Wilson-Tagoe’s case last September, saying there was no evidence he bought the winning ticket for the March 2014 Lotto Max draw.

Wilson-Tagoe appealed the decision, saying the case should have been decided at trial and not through a summary judgment.

The B.C. Court of Appeal released a decision last week dismissing the appeal, with the three-judge panel saying there is no reason for the court to intervene in the case.

Wilson-Tagoe alleged in his lawsuit that he purchased the winning ticket from a gas station in March 2014, then lost it, possibly throwing it in the trash with old tickets.

He told the court that the winning ticket was a fake, but the judge ruled there was no evidence he had bought the winning ticket or been defrauded of the $50 million prize.

The B.C. Lottery Corp., awarded the jackpot to a group of individuals in December 2015, nearly two years after the draw.

The agency has previously said it received 739 inquiries about the winning ticket and reviewed every claim thoroughly before handing over the winnings to the people verified as the owners of the lucky ticket.