The Provincial Court in Pontevedra, a city in northwest Spain, ruled in early February on a civil lawsuit, compelling a lottery winner to share his one million euro prize with a friend.

According to the court, the two men had an oral agreement dating back to their youth. This agreement stipulated that if either won a one million euro lottery jackpot, they would share 100,000 euro with the other.

One of the friends won the one million euro prize in 2022. Initially, the winner happily agreed to honor the old promise when reminded by his friend. However, he later refused, citing his daughter's disapproval as the reason.

Feeling betrayed, the friend filed a lawsuit to claim the promised money. The defendant, however, denied the existence of any agreement to share the prize.

Despite the lack of written proof, the judge determined that such an agreement did exist.

In the ruling, the judge cited witness testimonies from individuals who had heard both men discuss the agreement. This discussion continued even after the winner knew he had won the one million euro.

Witnesses recounted conversations where the lottery winner considered how to use his prize. He told his friend, "I will give you 100,000" and that with this money, "you can do whatever you want".

The judge also presented an audio recording of a conversation between the two parties. In the recording, the defendant repeatedly acknowledged the oral agreement, though he claimed he could not fulfill it due to his daughter's refusal.

During the trial, the plaintiff also submitted WhatsApp conversations with the winner's daughter. In these messages, she stated phrases like, "That kind of agreement doesn't seem normal to me" and "If you had won the lottery instead, my father and I would never accept money from you".

Consequently, the judge concluded that the agreement existed, despite the defendant's denial in court. The court ruled that the defendant must share the agreed-upon 100,000 euro with his friend, plus interest.

By Hai Thu, 20 minutos