The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation has been served.

Served with a Small Claims lawsuit, that is.

As previously reported, the OLG will even seemingly break the law when it comes to carrying out its vendetta against me.

And the OLG is living up to its dubious reputation as the most scandal-plagued* Crown corporation in the history of Crown corporations. And despite a revolving door of CEOs taking the helm at the OLG during the last several years, the end result is always the same: the OLG continues to behave very badly.

*(This is not conjecture. I refer to the shocking 2007 Ontario Ombudsman’s report, “A Game of Trust.” This scathing report chronicled numerous scandals and allegations of “insider wins” that the OLG was embroiled in, which were chronicled extensively in the popular press.)

As I recently reported, I was lucky enough to win a modest jackpot of precisely $2,239.50. (Don’t feel envious: I’m sure I’ve spent far more than that sum on losing lottery tickets, proving yet again that lotteries are, in essence, an idiot tax. But I digress…)

Nevertheless, I did win the Pick 3 lottery fair and square when my lucky numbers, 4-4-2, finally came up in the correct order.

That’s the good news.

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Now, the bad news: I sought to claim my winnings. But the OLG would not allow me to do so. You read that correctly. And this time, the OLG did not rely on some bogus technicality to deny the claim (which it has done in the past). Rather, the OLG simply would not allow the claim to proceed from the get-go.

Here’s the skinny: the OLG Prize Centre is located in downtown Toronto. Prior to COVID-19, one would simply walk into the Prize Centre, fill out some paperwork, and then walk out with a cheque. Easy-peasy.

Alas, the OLG is still working as if COVID is a thing. The formerly user-friendly OLG Prize Centre currently resembles a fortress. Windows are papered over and one must buzz security to open the always-locked sliding doors. So weird. It seemingly operates as if it were an illegal gambling den operated by the mob. But then again, what’s the difference given that grim ’07 Ombudsman’s report?

But most importantly when it comes to this particular story, a winning lottery ticketholder must make a pre-arranged appointment to visit the OLG Prize Centre.

And so it was that I called the OLG toll-free customer service line to book an appointment. Not once. Not twice. But six times. And the outcome of every call was exactly the same: the OLG customer service rep hung up the phone almost immediately or stated that he or she had been ordered by a supervisor to terminate the call! And sure enough: CLICK! Every single time…

This is no exaggeration. I have audio recordings of these calls. And in every case, there was no reason given for terminating the call. Of note, I was never rude or verbally abusive. I didn’t even raise my voice. So, what gives? Great question.

But I can only speculate on the OLG’s motives since no one there, including the OLG media relations flacks, will communicate with me.

My hunch: it would appear I’m on a blacklist. Why? Likely due to my news coverage over the years chronicling OLG shenanigans and asking “impolite” questions.

Be that as it may, I’m still entitled to my winnings. Even if the OLG poohbahs are suffering from hurt feelings due to multiple P.R. black eyes.

So it was that I recently drove from my home in Richmond Hill to downtown Toronto to personally make a house call to the OLG Prize Centre.

What ensued next was an interaction with OLG Prize Centre staff that could’ve been the inspiration for a knee-slapping sketch on Monty Python’s Flying Circus. Which is to say, I was told by the Prize Centre staffers that I must prearrange an appointment to visit the OLG Prize Centre. I informed them I had been thwarted from doing so six times through no fault of my own. Thus, I had no choice but to visit the OLG Prize Centre in person. And how did the OLG customer service reps respond? Like this: in order to facilitate an in-person claim, one needs to make a pre-arranged appointment first.

Yep, rinse and repeat. And is this not the very definition of a Catch-22?

I also mentioned that I had an open invitation to visit the OLG Prize Centre from the OLG’s lawyer, Carlos Sayao he/him. (Incidentally, given that Mr. Sayao he/him dons a full beard, has anyone ever mistaken this chap for a she/her? It’s all so confusing, isn’t it?)

Alas, it was a moot point. The reps did not care. Nor were they able to squeeze in one extra appointment because… well, just because, OK?

I then phoned and emailed Mr. Sayao he/him asking him to kindly plead some sense into the drones at the OLG Prize Centre. But at deadline, no response had been received from he/him. Customer. Service. Excellence.

And why did I have such a special arrangement with the lawyer in the first place, you ask? Well, it was due to previous litigation. I have sued the OLG in the past. And get this: I’m batting 1.000, despite going up against the OLG’s high-priced Bay Street lawyers (your tax dollars hard at work yet again, folks…).

So it is that I recently served the OLG at its north Toronto headquarters yet again. Can’t wait to see the OLG’s statement of defence.

Bottom line: I’m confident I will win against the OLG bullies yet again. The only question: how much will I be awarded? Because this time around, I’m asking for punitive damages.

Stay tuned…