Following a recent CBC "Fifth Estate" television report on an alleged lottery scandal in Ontario, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission issued an internal investigation regarding a disproportionate number of lottery wins by alleged "insider" lottery retailers. And now that this investigation is underway, the office of the Ontario Ombudsman, Andre Marin, is busier than it has ever been. Marin described the scene as telephones 'ringing off the hook' and complaints piling in.

Marin says the vast bulk of the incoming calls are coming from past lottery jackpot winners claiming they were slighted from their rightful winnings by retailers, and that after prodding the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation to investigate the matter, nothing was properly done to resolve the matter. With more and more calls coming in by the hour, the problem seemingly larger than what was originally believed. Furthermore, the possibility of internal corruption is now a likely reality.

Considering an internal investigation could very well cover up any evidence of internal corruption, many Canadians are calling for an independent investigation and review. Perhaps now with increasing evidence piling up with the Ontario Ombudsman, Ontario's governmental authorities will issue another investigation of their own.

What originally brought the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission under fire was the case of eighty-three year old cancer survivor, Bob Edmonds, who said he was shorted out of a $250,000 winning ticket by a convenience store clerk. Edmonds was later paid $150,000 by the clerk, following a police investigation, which was followed by an even more in-depth investigation by the CBC's "Fifth Estate", which revealed that 214 lottery retailers had won prizes of $50,000 or more over the last seven years.

In the meantime, lottery players are always advised to make photocopies of their tickets and keep copies of all receipts and ticket cards.