‘Money’s not everything’: Woman’s next move after lotto lawsuit loss

A Cairns woman may have lost her fight for “justice” over an unclaimed $2 million lotto ticket, but she still considers herself a winner for one reason.

KATHY Rado may have lost her fight for “justice” over an unclaimed $2 million lotto ticket, but the Cairns woman said she still feels like she won, despite potentially having to pay thousands of dollars in legal costs.

The 59-year-old tutor lost an application in the Cairns Supreme Court on Thursday for Golden Casket to disclose the time and date the winning ticket was sold at DFO in Westcourt in January 2014.

Ms Rado believed she was the rightful winner of the money and lost the ticket, but has spent the past seven years hoping to receive the windfall and making multiple failed claims.

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But speaking outside court, Ms Rado said despite putting her life “on hold” in her battle with Golden Casket, she now had to move on.

“Money’s not everything and it’s not,” she said. “You shouldn’t rely on this. I’m a big gambler … and this has made me change my ways.”

She said she planned to return to university to finish a teaching degree and resume her love for painting.

“It’s better to do something with your life and make money in a way that pleases you,” she said.

The Cairns ticket was one of two Division 1 winners in the 2014 draw with each winning $2 million.

Winners have up to seven years to claim their prize and there has been previous incidents of people losing tickets managing to prove to Golden Casket they were the rightful winner.

Ms Rado had accused the company, which is owned by Tab Corp, of “blackballing” her after she made repeated attempts to prove her claim.

Golden Casket barrister Fiona Lubett asked for Ms Rado to pay $14,000 to cover their legal costs which Justice Jim Henry said was “a bit steep”.

He will hand down a costs order at a later date.

Ms Rado said in court she was happy to pay costs and “for it all to be over”.

“I still feel like I may have lost in court, but they lost in credibility and should have been made to disclose it,” she said.

In handing down his decision Justice Henry said there was “no proper basis to grant the application”.

He said Ms Rado had never directly sued Golden Casket for breach of contract so it was not appropriate to order they disclose the ticket details.

Outside court Ms Rado, who represented herself, said she had not even realised suing was an option.

“I was waiting until the last minute and hoping things would turn around,” she said.

The self-confessed “hoarder” believed the ticket could still be in her home.

“I keep hoping perhaps I’ll find (it),” she said.

And the incident has not deterred her from continuing to buy lotto tickets.

Originally published as ‘Money’s not everything’: Woman’s next move after lotto lawsuit loss