"I'm also getting a dog": Woman celebrates lottery win after buying ticket "on a whim"

Most lottery winners often use their winnings to pay the bills, invest, or go on a holiday. However, one woman will be doing all of that in addition to using some of her winnings on something far more adorable.

Judith Byrnes, a resident of Bolton, Ontario, has been playing the lottery regularly for decades.

“Bingo and Crossword are my favourite games,” she said.

One day, while buying a lottery ticket, Byrnes decided to mix it up.

“I asked for a Bingo ticket, but I changed my mind and ended up buying a winning Crossword ticket,” she recalled.

Byrnes was playing her lottery ticket at home when she noticed that she had matched several words.

Judith Byrnes/OLG

“I thought I won $5,000 and I was so excited,” she said. She then handed the ticket to her husband to double-check. That’s when she noticed that she had actually matched more words than she initially thought so Byrnes called another family member for help.

“I decided to call my daughter and ask her to come over and check the ticket using the OLG App,” she said. “We all saw it was a $50,000 win and went silent. It feels fantastic.”

While at the OLG Prize Center in Toronto to pick up her cheque, she said, “I bought this ticket on a whim.”

Byrnes, who’s now retired, will be using her money to pay some bills, invest, and take a trip this winter.

But she will also be using her winnings on something else.

“I’m also getting a dog!” she said.

The winning ticket was purchased at the CNIB Kiosk in Walmart on Mcewan Drive in Bolton.