This video is sponsored by Raycon. Grill: Good news everyone! Brew: Uh-oh. Grill: Look at what I got. The Hillside Lottery Jackpot’s 20 Mil tonight. So, I figured I’d grab some and split the profits with ya. What are you gonna get with your five mil? Chill: An avocado farm in Guatemala! Grill: Classic. I’m gonna buy the rights to Yeet, how about you? Howard: A processor fast enough to run the calculations necessary for you to defy the probability so heavily. Grill: Yeah, yeah, shove it up your filter you glorified tin can. Brew: I wouldn’t get too hung up on that idea. Even if you did win, you might find that the money would split you apart. Chill: No way, nothing’s pulling us apart! Uah. Grill: Hey Brew: Well, you say that now, but it’s not exactly unheard of… Today’s topic concerns gambling, which is a common addiction. We’re not here to tell you what to do with your time or money. We just want to explore this subject from an unbiased perspective. If you want to try your luck, maybe come up with a budget you can afford to spend within. Just a suggestion. And with that out of the way… Let’s get into it! It’s always nice sharing with the ones we love. But, it’s also worth noting that people, even those we care about, can have flaws. Especially when there are multiple millions of dollars on the line. For example, you may recall Lara and Roger Griffiths as we covered in our last lottery video on how winning can ruin your life. Their 1.8 million pound win and subsequent spending spree led to their marriage eroding along with their fortune. But we can argue that cases such as that are an influx of wealth putting extra strain on relationships that already have cracks in them, or irresponsible spending creating tension like in any relationship. The kind of relationships where money just stresses the cracks that are already in the foundation. A far cry from what happened in Nova Scotia, Canada back in 2018. When Barbara Reddick won 1.2 million Canadian Dollars from the Chase the Ace lottery, she only had four words for the nephew she posed alongside with for the giant novelty cheque picture. “See you in court.” According to Reddick, she had let her nephew Tyrone MacInnis sign her lottery ticket for luck, and had agreed to split a smaller prize 50/50 with him if she won. What she hadn’t agreed on, at least by her own account, was to split the grand prize as evenly. Or, in her own words, "He was lucky, but not for half a million dollars." Grill: Wow, she said that to her nephew? Chill: That’s cold, like, chilling… In like, the bad way. Brew: That may be true, but according to at least one lawyer she may have had a case. Despite the fact that Nova Scotia’s gambling agency stated that "In these instances, we expect the licensee to split the prize equally amongst those named on the winning ticket… From our perspective, the prize has been awarded and the lottery is concluded". Halifax-based lawyer David Hutt held a different opinion on the matter. According to Hutt, “It’s a question of contract… It’s not really between her and the organizers of the event. It’s actually between her and her nephew, and right now we’re really scant on analysis.” Following the payout, the contested half of the winnings - that is to say, the half intended for MacInnis - was frozen pending the legal action. Chill: But like, how good could their relationship have been beforehand? Brew: According to a court affidavit, Reddick claimed to have “paid for everything” for MacInnis, including: $100 in spending money per month; graduation suit; car; and Playstation. Needless to say, the money disagreement led to a falling out between the two with Reddick stating that MacInnis was dead to her, which is apparently par for the course when it comes to familial lottery disputes. In the words of law school professor Rob Currie from Dalhousie University: "There are lots of cases in Canadian law based on disagreements about who is entitled to lottery proceeds. And they're all quite sad and none of them end up very well and they all end up with a lot of money going out the door to the lawyers." In the end, the dispute ended with an out-of-court agreement that MacInnis would receive $350,000, and the rest would go to Reddick. And while both agree that they look forward to putting the dispute behind them, I have my doubts that their relationship will ever return to normal. Chill: Heck yeah homie, cause sharing is caring. Just like how Grill and I share headphones. Show em Grill. Grill: Alright, hold on. Hnnggh. I need some earbuds without any wires Chill: Bluetooth and bass are all I desire Brew: 6 hours of playtime from a great battery Together: This show is sponsored by Raycon, Ouweee. Announcer: Witness what critics are calling the greatest show on a coffee themed education channel: Raycon the Musical. Featuring a pair of stylish yet discreet earbuds like these everyday E25 models! Whether you’re working out, working from home or working a Broadway musical into your video about lottery tickets: RAYCON HAS GOT YOU COVERED. Churry: Competing quality at half the price Lifehack: Podcasts or music from any device Brew: Click buyraycon.com/brew Together: Get 15 percent off an order for youuuu Announcer: RAYCON THE MUSICAL IS NOT A REAL PRODUCTION. Raycon has a 45-day free-return policy. Click the link in the description to get yourself a pair of bluetooth earbuds that will best buds with your ears. Ouuwee. Grill: So what I’m hearing is, “burn all the bridges I don’t care about before I win”. Brew: What? No! Not at all! Besides, that may not help, depending on when you bought the tickets. July, 2013. Troy, Michigan resident Richard Zelasko checked his lottery ticket at a self-scanner, the machine advised him to contact the Mega Millions lottery organization. Figuring the prize wouldn’t be that big, he stuffed it back into his wallet and called them later. Imagine his surprise when he learned he had won $80 million. Oh and then a court ordered him to share the prize with his ex-wife. Despite having been separated at the time of the win, Zelasko’s divorce hadn’t been finalized yet, which meant that they were considered to be part of the same marital estate at the time. Chill: But wait a second, how was it a part of the estate if they weren’t even living together? Well, according to the arbitrator: “marital property includes all property acquired from the date of marriage until the date of entry of the divorce decree…” and that given that Richard’s ex-wife was the primary breadwinner for the couple, and the winning ticket was likely not the only one that he had purchased while the two were together. The arbitrator further stated that, “as losses throughout the marriage were incurred jointly, so should winnings be shared jointly.” So, like, that’s it? Don’t buy lottery tickets with anyone or you’ll be miserable and hate them? Grill, throw those away! Brew: Well, not necessarily. You know there are a couple happier stories. Wisconsin, 1992, friends Thomas Cook and Joseph Feeney shook hands and agreed that if either of them ever won the lottery, they’d split it with each other. The two purchased lottery tickets weekly for the next 28 years until Cook bought a PowerBall ticket that won him $22 million at a local gas station. Chill: And lemme guess, he didn’t share the money with his friend? Brew: Just the opposite, he called Feeney up and told him about the win. Grill: What? Human decency and honor? Color me surprised. Well, in Cook’s own words, "A handshake's a handshake, man." Chill: Aww, that’s so sweet! Brew: And just to restore your faith in humanity, they’re not the only ones. Brandon, Manitoba, April 2020, coworkers David Morley and Jean Riviere had been playing the Lotto 6/49 together for about 9 months when Morley picked up a ticket at the local 7-11. The next day when it was announced that a Manitoba-based ticket had won $1 million, Morley got excited. His hopes were confirmed when he checked his ticket at a gas station after work. Recounting the event, Morley said, “I called Jean right away, and he yelled ‘woohoo!’ “We were both really happy – it’s unbelievable; just for a few bucks, we get to be one of those people!” And that story of coworkers winning happily together isn’t uncommon. You may have even seen it happen in a tv show, like say, The Office where the warehouse crew race through the office and quit after striking it big in the aptly named episode “Lotto”. In real life, this practice is known as a “lottery pool” where coworkers pool their money to buy a certain amount of tickets with the agreement that winnings will be split between the group, with smaller winnings paid back into buying more tickets. Which is how six Winnipeg nursing home workers won in July of 2020. The coworkers had been in a lottery pool for a decade before getting their winning ticket for $5 million. According to Marie Saltel, who claimed the prize on the group’s behalf, “Everyone I told thought I was joking — but they believe it now!” As nursing home workers, the six had gone through a stressful period before due to, you know, the ongoing plague, so the win was a nice surprise that the workers plan to use to help their kids, pay for renovations, and plan for retirement. Chill: So, like, not all lottery stories have a depressing ending. Brew: No, not all of them. Still, it’s important to remember the old adage of “never go into business with a friend.” When money’s put on the line, greed may have a way to wear down relationships. Even when it comes to lottery pools, there are agreements and contracts that can be used to ensure that no one bad actor ruins the win for everyone. But, despite the fact that you are incredibly unlikely to win- Howard: With odds as low as one in 302.6 million for some jackpots. Brew: I’m not here to be a killjoy, so go ahead and buy a ticket if you want. Just spend responsibly. Grill: I—I won! Hooo! Chill: Whoa, whaaaaaat? Brew: Wait, you did? Grill: Yup! Ten whole buckaroos after tax, haha! That’s a whoppin’ $3.25 each!. Here’s your cut, Chill! Chill: Well, it might not get me a farm, but I can still buy one avocado. Brew: That’s the spirit Chill, just avoca-don’t spend it all in one place!
