Three mates from Calgary, right? They've been chucking their coins into the lottery for, get this, 17 years. Sounds like a plot from a sitcom, doesn't it? Anyway, one fine day, they hit the jackpot - a whopping 50 million dollars from Canada's Lotto 6/49. It's like the comedy gods scripted it.

So, Carmen Austria, one of the trio, has this routine where she checks their tickets over her morning coffee. Picture it: she's just there, in her PJs, expecting nothing more than the usual disappointment. Then, bam! She scans the ticket and her app practically screams at her, "Oi, you've won 50 million!" She nearly drags her husband out of the bath, screaming, "Am I seeing things?" His response? A bunch of bleeps you'd have to censor on TV, followed by a very enthusiastic declaration of retirement.

Now, picture the scene at 6 in the morning. Carmen's blowing up her mates' phones. Catherine Wall thinks it's bad news at that ungodly hour, while Gary Perkins, the other mate, is too asleep to even care. Eventually, they see the message and can't believe their eyes. I mean, who dreams of getting a text saying you've just won 50 million?

Split three ways, that's a neat 16.6 million each. Not bad for a bit of loyalty and a lot of luck, eh? Carmen says she couldn't even imagine having all that dough to herself. Gary chimes in, saying it's more about the emotional riches than the cash. Though, let's be honest, the cash isn't exactly unwelcome.

Fast forward a few months, and they're all living their best lives. Carmen's jetted off to Chile to see family, Catherine and her other half have chucked in their jobs, and Gary? First in line at the Ford dealership, because why not? They're even planning a group holiday to celebrate. And get this, they're still playing the lottery. Because once you've won big, why stop dreaming, right?

And to top it off, Albertans are on a winning streak, scooping up over $330 million in lottery wins recently. There's even a $70 million winner popping up. It's like Alberta's become the promised land for lottery lovers. So, the moral of the story? If you're going to waste your money, do it with friends. It might just pay off 17 years later.