‘That’ll be a birthday I’ll never forget’: Barrie man wins big with crossword lottery game

David B. of Barrie at the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto, Ont. claiming his prize of $100,000. (OLG)

Solving puzzles all these years has certainly paid off.

Whether it’s across or down, this Barrie man has certainly got a clue – or several – and is headed in the right direction.

Not only does this 64-year-old construction worker keep his mind sharp by playing OLG’s Crossword game, but his birthday served as a good luck charm.

David B. said he picked up the Instant Crossword Tripler game on his birthday and when he got home, he checked his ticket on the OLG app and saw he had won the top prize of $100,000.

“At first, I thought something was wrong with my phone. I scanned it about 10 times,” he recalled. “I was just blown away. I’ve never sung Happy Birthday to myself, but I did that day! That’ll be a birthday I’ll never forget, that’s for sure!”

David plans on travelling to Vietnam and checking out a cave that he said is highly reviewed.

He also says he’ll use the money to give back and set up a fund to help children in Thailand achieve their educational dreams.

The Instant Crossword Tripler costs $5 to play and the odds of winning any prize are roughly one in three.

“I think it’s a good way to keep your mind sharp,” David said, when he went to the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to collect his winnings.

The winning ticket was purchased at Hasty Market on Cundles Road East in Barrie.