Woman sues ex-fiance for share of Internet lottery winnings

Grace Leong

Friday, May 19, 2000 | 11:01 a.m.

Las Vegan Gary Kopp won a $1.24 million lottery game on the Internet, but apparently lost his love.

Less than a month after striking iwin.com's first million-dollar eXtremelotto cash prize, Kopp was sued by his former fiancee, Brenda Hurley, who alleged he failed to an honor an oral agreement to cut her half of his $1 million winnings.

Hurley said in an April press release by iwin.com, an advertising-supported games-for-prizes website, that they had been playing the daily online lottery giveaway for almost a month before striking the six winning numbers on April 2.

"I can't believe we actually won! What an incredible way to start our life together," Hurley said in the press release. Kopp, in the same release, enthused: "I spend my days helping other people strategically manage their money and now I'm thrilled and overwhelmed at the prospect of doing it for myself."

Not so, disputed Hurley, in a lawsuit filed Thursday against Kopp in Clark County District Court. She claims she was entitled to half his winnings because she had selected the winning lottery numbers under Kopp's name on April 2.

"She had a hunch that certain numbers will hit, but you're only allowed up to 10 entries a day. So to increase her chances of winning, she proposed to her fiance that she would set up the lotto accounts for him and play the numbers. She would do everything, but in return, if they won, she would get half of his winnings," said her attorney Christopher Grobl.

eXtremelotto is iwin.com's daily free million-dollar lottery drawing. The game involves selecting six numbers from a field of 64. eXtremelotto players are allowed two free entries each day and may earn up to eight more daily entries by playing games and accumulating points on iwin.com.

Hurley was to receive $200,000 for referring Kopp to the site, while her mother, Claudia Morris, was to be paid $40,000 for referring Hurley to the site.

"She had the same deal with her son-in-law and a close friend. She set up accounts for them too," Grobl said. "She picked the formulas. She did all the work. If she had won under her own account, she would have been the sole winner. But she picked the winning numbers in his account."

Hurley, who alleged they had agreed to place the winnings in two trust accounts, said Kopp received two $500,000 disbursements in his account on April 27 and May 5, but refused to pay her claimed portion of the winnings.

Grobl said wedding plans are now off for Kopp, an independent financial consultant and Hurley, a writer and former police officer. The couple had planned to marry in 2001.

"They split up after he received the second tranche of the winnings on May 5. That was the last she saw of him," Grobl said.

Kopp could not be reached for comment.

Grace Leong is a business writer for the Sun. She can be reached at (702)-259-2326 or by e-mail at gracel@lasvegassun.com.