A Lotto 6/49 Winner In BC Bought Her Ticket On A Whim & Was 'In Shock' When She Actually Won

A lotto winner in B.C. has the person next to her in line at a grocery store to thank for her big win, in the February 19, Lotto 6/49 draw.

The lucky lottery winner decided to buy her ticket on a whim, after seeing a fellow shopper purchase one first. Thanks to the last-minute decision, Renee Derhousoff took home $500,000 from the Lotto 6/49.

"As I was paying for my groceries, I saw someone else purchase a ticket and thought I should maybe buy one," Derhousoff said.

She simply bought the ticket at a Save-On Foods on Market Crossing and Marine Way in Burnaby, and then left it in her purse, until she was sitting in her car one day and decided to check it on the BCLC Lotto! app.

To her great surprise, she had won half a million dollars in the game, and she is "still in shock" about it.

When she discovered the wild news, Derhousoff started calling up her family to share in the excitement.

"I started to call my kids, whoever would answer the phone the fastest, so I called my daughter," she said.

With her new money, Derhousoff is planning to buy a car and some property. She also wants to hop on a plane to Europe for a trip.

"It's so nice knowing that I don’t have to worry about things," she added.

Some other people have also gotten lucky in B.C. recently, like a group of nurses who all won the Lotto Max together.

If you or someone you know is struggling with problem gambling, refer to these helplines across Canada. Support is available.