Jackpot lottery win turns into legal battle.

A 51-year-old man who won €88 million in Italy's SuperEnalotto is being sued by his estranged wife who claims that half the massive jackpot belongs to her.

The man, originally from the southern Italian town of Caserta near Naples, scooped the lottery prize while in Rome on business last week.

He bought the winning ticket for €3 at a tobacconist in the northern suburb of La Giustiniana, earning himself precisely €88,232,801.88.

But what should have been a dream come true has turned into a legal dispute with his almost-ex wife, a 45-year-old beautician from Rovigo, who is now demanding €44 million.

The couple were already in the process of separating due to marital issues, which worsened after the woman hired a private investigator who discovered that her husband had been cheating on her.

The man allegedly hid the news of his bumper lottery win from his wife who found out about it by reading phone messages he had exchanged with his sister, Il Messaggero newspaper reports.

The article states that the couple were in a "comunione dei beni matrimonial regime" under which both spouses equally own all assets and goods they purchase after marriage.

The woman's lawyers reportedly claim that despite the break-up, the couple were not yet divorced and were still married at the time of the lottery win, meaning that the €88 million jackpot falls under shared assets.

According to Il Messaggero, the man's lawyers argue that he had long since left the marital home and that the separation had already been agreed verbally.

The winnings "would therefore represent a personal event subsequent to the actual end of the marriage", the article states.

The woman has now taken legal action, requesting €5,000 per month in alimony or a one-off payment of €44 million.

The case is now before the courts which will determine whether or not she is legally entitled to half the prize.