A lottery win has thrown an entire family into an incredible war. What was chosen, in the end, for the prize of 1 million dollars

An Australian family is torn apart by an incredible conflict caused by a million dollar lottery win. It came to a nasty legal battle, because of an amount offered as a gift.

It all started in March 2018 when Willian John Bampton from Queensland hit the jackpot and won almost A$1 million, 986,000 to be exact. But the old man refused to help his 69-year-old daughter Sue Vourlides with money because he does not like her husband Jim and did not want him to benefit from any money from him.

5 months later, however, he relented and presented his daughter with a check for $300,000.

But after 3 years in 2021, Bampton changed his mind and asked for the money back, saying he was then “bullied” into giving it.

This eventually ruined the relationship throughout the family, leading to a long-running legal battle, according to The Australian.

According to a Brisbane District Court ruling in January 2024, Bampton opened a deposit for a four-bedroom house after winning the lottery. After paying the $50,000 down payment, he wired the remaining $505,000 to co-own the home with his son, Larry.

Only after making this purchase did Bampton give his daughter a share of the winnings.

But Bampton now says he was forced to give his daughter the money and felt he had “no other option” but to give in to her insistence after a heated family row.

Vourlides, however, claims her father gave her the money willingly, and the whole money ordeal arose because Bampton was estranged from his children.

A legal dispute ensued between Bampton and his children, with the judge ruling in Vourlides’ favor, finding that Bampton had acted on his own initiative, with no dementia or other illness influencing his decision.

Judge Suzanne Sheridan said: “Although Mr Bampton had advanced age and medical conditions, tests show he had full capacity and was able to manage his finances. It does not appear that Ms Vourlides took advantage of Mr Bampton. It was a gift he consciously gave them“.

Vourlides said this lottery win did nothing but destroy their lives. Her brother told the local press: “No one came out of this as a winner, it just destroyed everyone in the family. The worst thing that ever happened to us was that he won the million dollars.”

This month, Bampton decided to appeal the judge’s decision because, he says, he was left with none of his winnings.

Publisher: DC

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