Imagine going to the track, feeding a bunch of unchecked wagering slips into the machine, and then receiving a $6.5 million voucher. Imagine then if the track refused to honour the voucher
.
As explained by an article in The Province, the above scenario is the reason why 78-year-old Elmer Patzer had sued the BC thoroughbred raceway, Hastings Park.
The Province report explains that the incident took place in 2004, and that the resulting court proceeding determined that the voucher had been issued due to a computer or mechanical error. The article explains that Madam Justice Barbara Fisher had ruled that it was impossible that Patzer had won as much as he claimed, in part based on the size of the betting pools and the wagers made.
Not taking the judge's ruling lying down, Patzer appealed the ruling. It was a panel of the BC Court of Appeals which recently tossed Patzer's appeal.
(With files from The Province)