$50M Lotto Max ticket hidden by workplace pool buyer, claims B.C. woman

A Shoppers Drug Mart employee is accusing her co-worker of hiding an unclaimed $50-million winning Lotto Max Quick Pick ticket she claims he bought with workplace pool money in March.

In a notice of civil claim filed in B.C. Supreme Court, Gayleen Elliott of Burnaby is suing Dalbir Sidhu for breach of contract, fraud and $52 million, plus interest.

"At all material times, the defendant has been in fraudulent possession of, and has knowingly converted, the March 14, 2014 tickets, one of which is the winning Quick Pick lottery ticket, for his own benefit and without the pool's permission," Elliott's claim reads.

Elliott says she, Sidhu and fellow Shoppers Drug Mart employees entered into an informal weekly lottery pool in 2012.

Sidhu regularly collected $5 from each co-worker, bought the tickets — some based on numbers chosen by the pool and others chosen randomly through so-called quick picks — and distributed any winnings, says Elliot.

After learning of the $50 million-draw, Elliott claims she asked Sidhu about the March 14 tickets, which he allegedly said he bought at a gas station in Surrey.

But when Elliott asked to see the validated tickets, she says Sidhu couldn't provide them.

She claims she and other pool members approached B.C. Lottery Corp. (BCLC) and were told their chosen numbers were never sold.

Sidhu allegedly then sent an email last week, claiming he actually forgot to buy the March 14 tickets because of family engagements around the date of the draw.

BCLC says the winning ticket was bought in Langley, and remains unclaimed. The winning numbers were 3, 4, 5, 7, 31, 33, 40 and the bonus number was 49.

In her lawsuit, Elliott claims Sidhu has been in possession of the winning ticket all this time and has "converted" the ticket for his own benefit.

Elliott's lawyer declined comment.

None of the charges has been proven in court, and Sidhu has not yet to file a statement of defence.