A bitter four-year legal saga over a $1-million lottery jackpot among a group of former Windsor co-workers has finally reached a confidential settlement, closing a chapter marked by accusations of betrayal and shattered friendships.
A Pizza Delivery and a Painful Discovery
The dispute centred on Philip Tsotsos, a 58-year-old retired automotive worker and part-time pizza delivery driver. Tsotsos launched a lawsuit in early 2022, claiming he was unjustly excluded from a Lotto Max prize won on June 22, 2021, by a pool of 16 former colleagues from an auto parts company.
He stated in court documents that he had been a consistent member of the same lottery pool since 2015. The painful discovery of his exclusion came shortly after a fateful act of kindness. Tsotsos delivered a free pizza to the group members, whom he once considered close friends.
"I bring them over pizza, I go, 'Hey boys, what’s going on? I haven’t seen you guys in a while,'" Tsotsos recounted. "They were kind of looking at each other, and they were like, 'Nothing new.'" He asked if he owed any money for the lottery pool and was told he did not.
Returning to his car, Tsotsos scrolled the internet only to find a photo of one pool member holding a giant $1-million cheque. "I feel so betrayed by them on every level — as a co-worker, as a friend, everything," he said. "They just stuck it to me."
The Stakes of the Legal Battle
Tsotsos sued for one-seventeenth of the jackpot, plus costs, interest, and damages. The other 16 members initially walked away with approximately $62,500 each. Had Tsotsos been included from the start, each share would have been roughly $58,000.
"This was all over four-grand each," Tsotsos noted, emphasizing how a relatively small sum per person spiraled into years of costly litigation and emotional distress. The defendants attempted to have the suit dismissed, alleging in a 2022 statement of defence that Tsotsos's claim was "merely a desperate afterthought from a regretful, troubled and jealous person."
Lawyer David Robins, representing the 16 defendants, declined to comment on the settlement, citing a confidentiality agreement. Tsotsos similarly cannot disclose the terms, but expressed relief that the ordeal is over. "The good news is it’s over," he said. "It was four years of torture."
A Cautionary Tale for Lottery Pools
Beyond the personal animosity, the lawsuit serves as a stark warning about the potential pitfalls of informal lottery pools. Without clear rules and documentation, what begins as a friendly agreement can quickly disintegrate when life-changing money is involved.
Tsotsos offered blunt advice for anyone participating in such groups: "Learn your group. Set boundaries, set rules within your lottery group. Don’t be afraid to ask questions." He concluded with a heartfelt warning, "You don’t want to go through this."
The settlement, reached in January 2026, ends a protracted Windsor court battle that exposed how a sudden windfall can irrevocably damage relationships and trust, leaving all parties with scars far deeper than the financial dispute.
