Forgotten lotto ticket turns into $500,000 payday for Caledon couple

It’s better late than never for a Caledon couple who just won half a million dollars off an old and forgotten lottery ticket.

Beth and Brian Burton are a married couple from Caledon who have been playing the lottery for over a decade. The pair bought a ticket for the Oct. 21 Lotto Max draw, but Beth says she forgot to check the winning numbers for weeks.

Beth checked the ticket using the OLG App and thought she’d won $500. But a second look revealed the prize was much, much bigger.

“I was so excited – then I looked closer and noticed all the zeroes,” Beth said while picking up the couple’s winnings at OLG Prize Centre in Toronto. “When Brian got home we checked the ticket together and he was so excited.”

Brian says he was fairly calm, but his wife was “freaking out with excitement.”

“She was jumping up and down with joy. We were happy to share the moment together,” Brian said.

The Burtons say they plan to use the “ life-changing” win toward helping out their children, some home renovations, and a trip to Niagara Falls.

LOTTO 6/49 offers players a chance to win two multi-million dollar jackpots every Wednesday and Saturday, for the same $3 per play.

The Classic Draw offers a fixed $5 million jackpot for every draw, while the Gold Ball Draw guarantees a $1 million prize or the growing jackpot that starts at $10 million and can exceed $60 million.

OLG says it supports safe play and responsible gambling through its PlaySmart program.

The winning ticket was purchased at Petro Canada on Charleston Sideroad in Alton.