Winning £130,000 in the EuroMillions jackpot would usually be a cause for celebration, but for one woman in Spain, it resulted in a painful legal battle with her late husband’s family.
Known only as H, the woman won €154,073 (approximately £131,000) in 2021 while receiving social benefits. To avoid losing these benefits, the prize money was deposited into a joint bank account under her husband’s name. Tragically, just months after the win, her husband passed away.
Following his death, the deceased’s mother, identified as J, claimed more than half of the lottery winnings, asserting it was part of her son’s inheritance. She took the dispute to the Provincial Court of Oviedo, arguing that her son had purchased the ticket, deposited the prize money, and opened the account in his name, thus excluding H from the process.
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Despite J’s claim of €92,780 (about £80,000), the court ruled in favor of H. The court affirmed that H was the registered winner of the EuroMillions draw held on April 16, 2021. It further confirmed that the €131,259.08 deposited into the account after taxes matched the prize amount and was linked to the ticket purchased by H herself at a lottery outlet in Saturnino Fresno, Oviedo.
Testimonies during the hearing supported H’s case, noting she was a regular lottery participant who typically purchased tickets alone. The ruling rejected the mother-in-law’s arguments, including her claim questioning the validity of H and her late husband’s marriage.
In the end, the mother-in-law’s attempt to claim a share of the winnings was unsuccessful, and H retained full ownership of her lottery prize.