A man has lost his legal bid for a share of his ex-wife's $6 million lotto win after an appeal court found the ticket was bought when the pair were leading separate lives.

In the second round of a court battle stretching over more than two years, a three-judge bench of the Family Court this month rejected the man's claim to a share of the spoils.

The couple, who have been given the pseudonyms of Mr and Mrs Eufrosin to protect their identities, were married for 20 years before they separated in July 2008.

The woman started buying weekly lotto tickets before the marriage and bought the winning ticket six months after the separation, while she was on a holiday.

She gave her sister $1 million because they had discussed sharing any win and her sister had given her money each week.