A Canadian court has ruled on a bitter dispute between former partners over a six-figure win at an online casino, deciding that the money belongs to the woman whose account was used, despite her ex claiming he was the one who hit the jackpot.
Ex-Boyfriend Loses Claim to $112K Online Jackpot
The case involved a jackpot of more than $112,000 won on an online slot game in April 2022. Timothy Jones, a 51-year-old fisherman, said he should get the full amount as he was playing at the time and had put money into the account just before the win. Cheryl Johnson, a 50-year-old social worker and his former partner, said the account and the money used to gamble were hers, reported the Daily Mail.
Johnson ultimately won in the Supreme Court of British Columbia. Justice Ronald Tindale said in his decision the winnings were attached to the account holder and the money in it, legally, no matter who was physically operating the game. He pointed out that the payout was not erroneous and that the account owner had a valid claim to the full amount.
The court also looked at the circumstances that led to the jackpot. Evidence showed Jones had been told earlier not to use Johnson’s gambling account, something he did not deny. The court’s decision was helped by this fact, with the judge ruling that Jones did not have permission to access the account when he made the win.
Judge Dismisses Strategy Claim in $112K Jackpot Case
There was also disagreement about who had actually made the key bets. Jones said he put money into Johnson‘s account and gambled some of it away. However, inconsistencies in his testimony and financial details presented in court raise questions about this version of events. The judge said it was more likely that Johnson herself made the transfer used for the game.
Johnson’s teenage son also testified in the case, but his testimony was deemed immaterial to the legal outcome, although he may have been involved in the play at the time of the winning point. The judge said slot machines are games of chance and rejected any claim a particular strategy may have made a difference in the outcome.
Following the victory, Johnson sent Jones some $5,200, which she said was an attempt to smooth over tensions and close the chapter on their relationship. However, Jones sued to get the rest back, saying he had been deprived of it unfairly. The court found Johnson was not unjustly enriched and rejected that claim.