A Kingsville woman is demanding the Ontario Lottery and Gaming corporation pay-up.
Susan Drake bought a crossword scratch ticket in September of 2018 at a Macs Milk store in Windsor. To her surprise she won $1,000 but the 72-year-old claims lottery officials are making the process of collecting her winnings practically impossible.
"The casino told me I had to fill out this form and send it in to Toronto. If it was $999 dollars they could give it to me but they are not allowed to give one thousand and it's for one thousand, I fill out the form, send it away," says Drake.
Before she claimed the ticket, Drake lost her husband of 47-years — known in the community as Dr. Robert Drake — a well-respected coroner in Windsor-Essex.
She went on a trip to clear her head after his death, and when she came back and decided it was time to claim her prize, Drake claims the OLG that made the situation more complicated.
"I explained to them that Robert died on October 16, 2018, that there would be no signature and to just process it. [They said] 'No,no, we can't do that. I said why not? ... He [the OLG represenative] said, 'we have to know if we get audited that we get the right person,'" according to Drake.
According to Drake, a OLG staff person gave her a list of documentation on the telephone that she had to produce in order to claim her prize including: a copy of her husband's will, government ID and her husband's Death Certificate.
Drake says she no longer has access to the items and she doesn't understand why her husband's information is needed.
"I won't even get it. I have to write a wave for it and wait at least six months. Do I want to give them all that personal stuff? Not really," she says. "I bought the ticket, I signed it, I won the money, you need to send me a cheque. I'll never buy another ticket, I won't."
In a statement sent to CTV News senior manager of media relations Tony Bitonti says,
"this prize claim is currently between OLG and the claimant and is under review. We are committed to lottery prize integrity and customer service."
Drake adds the OLG representative she spoke with on the phone advised her to contact a lawyer if she can't provide the documentation — but she has no interest in hiring a lawyer since it may cost her more than her prize.
— with files from CTV Windsor's Stefanie Masotti.