Thomas Noftall, the Brampton resident who believed he had won $135,000 from a lottery ticket the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. says was a mistake has agreed to accept an undisclosed financial settlement.

After meeting with lawyers, the lottery corporation agreed to pay Noftall "in recognition of the grief he's gone through," since being told he'd get the prize money, even though he wasn't actually a winner, said OLG CEO Kelly McDougald at a press conference this afternoon.

"Despite the printing error, it was not a winning ticket," she said, adding that aside from what might appear on the card, the barcode is the only way to confirm a winning ticket.

When Noftall called the OLG contact centre, a spokesperson told him that he would be able to collect his winnings.

Both parties have agreed not to make public how much he'll actually take home to his Brampton basement apartment.

"There is general acknowledgement between both parties that he didn't have a winning ticket," said McDougald. "However, when he called in to our contact centre and asked if he would be paid in error, we erroneously told him that he would."

"There was a unique situation with Mr. Noftall, in that it was very explicit that we made a direct miscommunication with him."

A review of calls received at the contact centre ensured there has been no other miscommunication, McDougald said, meaning that 15 other "winners" and those who have not come yet forward are not likely to be compensated.

"It's always difficult to tell someone who believes they're a winner that they haven't got a winning ticket... We are not responsible for paying on non-winning tickets and I don't think the public wants us to pay for non-winning tickets either."

A printing error created 1,100 false winning tickets. It is estimated that between 50 and 150 of the defective $3 Fruit Smash scratch tickets were purchased. OLG said the situation has happened only three times in the past ten years.

"It is very clear in legislation and in game rules on our site that we are not to pay out prize amounts to misprinted tickets," McDougald said.