News writer
Somewhere in Australia, someone is walking around $3.3 million richer — and they have absolutely no idea. The winning ticket was sold, the numbers were drawn, and the jackpot was real. But when lottery officials tried to call the lucky player, things took an unexpected turn that left them — and the prize — completely hanging.
Gold Lotto winner
Can you imagine winning $3.3 million in the Australian Lottery without knowing about it? That is what is happening in Australia, which has left lottery officials stumped.
On Saturday, May 10, the Gold Lotto draw was held in Australia. There were six national winners during that draw, including a division one ticket worth $3.3 million, which was purchased at Campbell's News & Casket in Toowoomba.
While they may be $3.3 million richer, the lucky lottery player doesn't know it yet. Why? Despite the lucky winner being a registered player, they haven't picked up the phone to hear the good news.
Phone is disconnected
According to The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell, she has been trying to deliver this life-changing news to the big winner, but every time she calls, it ends in a dead end. She said:
I was ready to reveal the life-enhancing news to the region's newest division one winner.
While the ticket was part of the Members Club, which means the winner's details were on file, it looks like that information wasn't up to date. Hobdell recalled:
But sadly, whenever I called the number provided, it said it was disconnected.
The winning ticket
For the Gold Lotto draw on Saturday, the winning numbers were 1, 18, 25, 35, 38, and 45, with the supplementary numbers being 4 and 16. Six tickets ended up matching all of the winning numbers for the drawing, with each of them winning $3.3 million. Hobdell explained:
If you purchased an entry from Campbell's News & Casket and haven't checked it yet, this could be your moment. We're asking all players to dig out their tickets and check now.
While Queensland had one of the six division one wins on the night, the others were spread across New South Wales and Victoria.
It's been a good fiscal year for lottery players in Australia. The Lott has crowned 402 division one winners in FY25 so far, but one of them is sitting with an unnoticed $3.3 million.
Why do lottery officials call the winners?
Lottery winners in Australia, particularly those who win bigger prizes, are notified by a phone call from The Lott, the official lottery provider in Australia. How does this work?
Players are encouraged to register their lottery tickets or purchase the tickets online to make sure their contact details are available. After a drawing takes place, those registered players may be contacted directly by The Lott if their ticket was a winner.
After the drawing is held, lottery officials process the results and identify any winning tickets. The Lott's customer service or public relations team will then contact registered winners to let them know about their big win.
The call is also trying to confirm the winner's identity and the details of the winning ticket. For bigger wins, lottery officials will also help guide the winner through the process of claiming their prize.
If the winning ticket is unregistered, then lottery officials have to just wait it out until the lucky player comes forward to claim their prize on their own.
Enjoy playing the lottery, and please remember to play responsibly.
Comments