Man who thought he won the lottery to sue paper

CP ^ | 08/20/06

[presidio9]

A Quebec man wants a consolation prize from his local newspaper after experiencing the thrill of winning the lottery, only to discover the paper had printed the wrong numbers.

Ulysee Maillot thought he had won last week's $42 million Lotto 6-49 jackpot - the second-largest in Canadian history - when he saw his numbers printed in Sunday's Montreal Gazette. Maillot, 62, was already plotting how he would spend the money when he discovered a few hours later that the Gazette had made a mistake.

"I felt sick," he told Global Television. "I never said a word. I was weak, I was sweaty, I was so upset."

He told Global that he has a heart condition, and has not been able to work or sleep since discovering the error.

"We are seeking something to at least allow him to be compensated for what he went through due to the circumstances," said Maillot's lawyer, Christopher Dimakos.

Dimakos would not reveal exactly how much his client is seeking from the Gazette, but said they are ready to take the paper to court if necessary.

There was no immediate response from the newspaper or any explanation how the error arose.

There were four winning tickets for last week's record jackpot. Two tickets were sold in greater Toronto, one in Kitchener and one in Quebec.

[Graybeard58]

I am amused by people who think they are smarter than others just because their preferences differ. If someone spent $2 per week on a food you don't like, would that be "stupid" too?

Gotta agree with that. I buy a couple of tickets when I am at a place that sells them and I happen to think about it, which probably averages about $2 per month, if that much.

It's entertainment and it's cheap. I don't understand people's enjoyment in going to movies and paying a small fortune but I wouldn't say that they are stupid for doing it. It's their choice.

[Between the Lines]

Stupidity tax.

In many states where the lotto is used for schools, it is a better fund raiser than most other items peddled by school children. The lotto gives 50 cents to the dollar to schools where most other fund raisers raise only 20 or 25 cents on the dollar.

[Bullish]

Newspapers print outright lies all the time. This was just a mistake.

He's just gonna' have to get over it.

[smith288]

Is going to go spend 15 bux at the movie theatre stupid? Or could you ever consider $2 is way cheaper for people to spend for entertainment?

[elli1]

I'd have some sympathy for the guy IF he wasn't planning to sue. Considering that he's revealed himself to be a butthole, I'm almost happy that he didn't win.

[HawaiianGecko]

Printing the wrong numbers is complete garbage and they should be liable for publishing a falsehood like that

Yeah, that's the (lottery) ticket! Let's start suing people for mistakes.  Isn't the proximate cause of this guy's pain the fact that he purchased non-winning numbers to begin with?  Now, if he had purchased the winning number and then burned it in his fireplace because of the misprint, he'd at least have a case for sympathy, but still not a lawsuit.

I have no clue what the wording of the contract he agreed to on the reverse of his tickets say, but I'm betting it doesn't say the official source of information is the Montreal Gazette.

 

[Chuck54]

Printing the wrong numbers is complete garbage and they should be liable for publishing a falsehood like that.....

You must think they printed the wrong numbers on purpose...........Geez!

[wideawake]

You must think they printed the wrong numbers on purpose

No, I think that the publishers of the paper know that this is a part of the paper that is (1) popular with many of their readers and (2) completely useless unless it is precisely accurate and (3) very easy to proofread.

[wideawake]

Let's start suing people for mistakes.

Start? People rightfully get sued for mistakes all the time.

[grjr21]

My mother plays about 5 dollars a week and my brother her youngest son gets really upset about it also calling it a stupidity tax and how its a total waste of money.
Meanwhile he has a private pilots license and his week isn't complete unless he can rent a small plane and fly around in circles for a couple of hours at the cost of a couple of hundred dollars

[Jotmo]

I had a very similar thing happen to me.

I got a promotion that I applied for, but the next day the union was griping that I wasn't the most senior person. The company took back the job offer, and reran the interview/testing process this time with, and I quote "an emphasis on seniority".

I began looking for another job immediately, and was gone in a few months. I wasn't a union member out of principle, but getting out of a union dominated company was the best thing I could have done.

[HawaiianGecko]

Not one of those 4 examples will EVER pay you off with millions of dollars

I'll bet the odds are better of reaping millions from a day on the slopes than the 1 in 153,000,000 at hitting a major lottery.  You have a much better chance at meeting a new client sitting at a Yankees game. More millionaires have been created in the U.S. from their meeting Bill Gates than the PowerBall.

 

[ml/nj]

Stupidity tax.

For some.

But I'm lifetime ahead winning only the minor prizes.

ML/NJ

[HawaiianGecko]

The lotto gives 50 cents to the dollar to schools where most other fund raisers raise only 20 or 25 cents on the dollar.

Lotteries were suppose to be a godsend to public schools in my state when they sold the idea, yet I've never met anyone that doesn't believe our schools are in worse condition than they were before legalized gambling. Oh, I have no problem at all with legalized gambling, BTW.

 

[presidio9]

I am amused by people who think they are smarter than others just because their preferences differ. If someone spent $2 per week on a food you don't like, would that be "stupid" too?

Very simply put, only an idiot would intentionally engage in the odds state lotterys offer.

[Toby06]

Stupidity tax.

Note I put in a percentage of my paycheck? It becomes stupid when it makes a significnt portion of your income. I pay more in taxes on my gas & cigarettes. I lose more than that in my washing machine, I'm sure.

I consider it cheap entertainment. And no, I don't hit the casino's. That's a losers game for sure.

[BaBaStooey]

I don't know what sucks worse. Not winning the lottery when you thought you did because the paper printed the wrong numbers, or having a last name which pretty much means "shirt."

[Drango]

In many states where the lotto is used for schools, it is a better fund raiser than most other items peddled by school children. The lotto gives 50 cents to the dollar to schools where most other fund raisers raise only 20 or 25 cents on the dollar.

But it is still a tax. And a highly regressive one, sometimes played by welfare bums who are already on the dole. (Note: I play the Looto 2-3 times a year as entertinment.)

[TET1968]

"Printing the wrong numbers is complete garbage and they should be liable for publishing a falsehood like that - but the guy's crybaby act is a bit much."

When they found out they had to pay out 42 million bucks your damn right they discovered they printed the wrong numbers.

I don't know if the guy is a cry baby.
He's angry and he's been told he has leverage.
Hey, go for it.

[layman]

I play $2 a week. It works out to 0.08% of my income, roughly

According to my calculations you make $6.25 per hour, roughly .... not that it's any of my business.