Most people would celebrate if they found out their lottery pool was the lucky winner of a million dollar check. But last October, when Philip Tsotsos of Windsor, Ont., learned via social media that 16 people shared a prize he also believed was partly his, the news had the opposite effect.
To add insult to injury, Tsotsos told CBC that the man holding the check, whom Tsotsos considered a friend, was just eating pizza that Tsotsos, a pizza delivery driver, brought him. free. “I logged on and was browsing social media and what’s going on. The same guy eating my pizza has a check for a million dollars, and that’s how I found out,” he said. -he declares. “How would you feel?” It hurts more than anything.
Related: North Carolina Man Wins Lottery Twice After Accidentally Buying 2 Identical Tickets
Tsotsos joined the lottery pool while employed at an auto parts delivery company, where the other members of the group also worked. Although he left for pizza delivery work, Tsotsos claims he was still part of the pool — even though he didn’t always pay his share and, in fact, owed the band $40 for the winning ticket in question. According to Tsotsos, in the six years he was in the pool, he owed up to $100 but was never cut, as the group “operated on an opt-out basis.”
Tsotsos claims he agreed to participate in the winning ticket in June and the pool won later that month. A court record indicates that clear communication would be required to disqualify a class member. In a series of text messages, Tsotsos acknowledges owing money and says he will pay, then backtracks, telling the group to withdraw their share of the expected winnings.
Related: Woman Says She Accidentally Destroyed $26 Million Winning Ticket In Washing Machine
Each member of the group would have walked away with a little less money if Tstosos had also been cut. “We would have all won $58,000,” Tstosos told CBC. “All of that is a difference of $4,500.”
Although Tsotsos’ lawyer Joseph De Luca said he would still like to settle out of court, a lawyer for the group of 16 said they were not considering that and would file a statement of defense within weeks. coming.
