It has been a tumultuous week for Curtis Geiger from Calgary. Geiger discovered on Monday that the 50/50 ticket he bought at the Calgary Stampede rodeo on July 11 was a winning ticket, valued at $125,150. “I was in disbelief. I was trembling,” shared Geiger, who even had a colleague verify the numbers for him.
Immediately after realizing his win, Geiger contacted the Calgary Stampede via email. However, the response he received later was not what he expected. According to an email shared with CBC News, the Stampede informed Geiger that all prizes for the Show Band 50/50 draw had either been claimed or the 48-hour window to claim the prize had lapsed.
Geiger expressed his disappointment, stating, “I’m mad at myself for missing the deadline and frustrated with the organization.” The Calgary Stampede clarified that the 48-hour claim period is a standard practice outlined in the rules of the Showband 50/50 lottery.
Geiger argued that the ticket did not specify the 48-hour claim period and emphasized the ambiguity of the word “may” in the lottery’s messaging. He also questioned the short duration of the claim period, suspecting that efforts were made to avoid awarding the prize.
Regarding potential legal action, Toronto-based lawyer Farhad Shekib suggested that Geiger could have a case for breach of contract due to unclear communication about the claim window. Shekib highlighted the importance of transparent communication to ticket buyers about claim timelines.
Geiger expressed his intention to explore legal avenues while also raising awareness to prevent similar incidents in the future. The Calgary Stampede clarified that unclaimed prize funds are allocated as per regulatory requirements to the Stampede and the Calgary Marching Show Band Association.
Geiger’s winning ticket and the subsequent dispute have sparked a conversation around lottery claim procedures and consumer rights.