Your worst nightmare unlocked: winning division one and not having the lottery ticket to claim it! We've heard all sorts of scary stories from winners about how they've lost or damaged their lottery tickets.
Fortunately, with a Lott Members Club account, you can ensure your prize is securely registered to you. It's free to join and provides peace of mind that, even if your physical ticket is misplaced, damaged, or accidentally discarded, you can still be united with your prize.
And registered or not, our advice is to always treat your lottery tickets like they're worth a million dollars, because one day, it just might be!
Here are our top tips for what NOT to do with your lottery ticket:
1. Don't laminate it
Your winning ticket makes for a great keepsake but steer clear of laminating them. Instead of preserving the special moment, one sentimental winner watched in horror as the ticket they'd tried to laminate turned completely black.
2. Don't iron it
In an attempt to iron out a few wrinkles, another winner quickly realised the fate of their ticket after it darkened before their eyes. Thankfully, the essential ticket number and key details were still readable, allowing the prize to be claimed - but it was a close call.
3. Don't leave it on the dashboard or near heat
Lottery tickets are printed on thermal paper, just like receipts. Leaving them on a hot appliance, a sunny car console, or near any heat source can cause the ink to fade or disappear entirely.
4. Don't bin it
A Blue Mountains couple mistakenly threw out their Monday & Wednesday Lotto (the game now known as Weekday Windfall) ticket, having to madly dash to the bin to fish this out before the garbage truck arrived.
"We then realised we had thrown the ticket out a few days ago so we went through the bin to find the ticket. It took a while, but we found it. Just as well as it's almost garbage day."
5. Don't keep it unchecked on the fridge
Even when left in plain sight, it can be easy for a ticket to go unnoticed. Days after the draw, a Brighton couple found their winning Powerball ticket sitting on their fridge door, waiting to unfreeze their $20 million prize.
6. Don't bury it in a shopping bag
It's worth clearing out shopping bags as you go to ensure no tickets get left behind or forgotten. A Newcastle man claimed his $1 million Saturday Lotto prize more than a year later having found the winning ticket in a shopping bag.
"I line the bottom of my reusable Aldi shopping bags with old beer cartons to give them some strength. The ticket was hidden in underneath it and I didn't know it was there!"
7. Don't leave it in the glovebox
While rummaging through their glovebox during a beach trip, a Nambucca Heads couple stumbled upon an unregistered Saturday Lotto ticket worth $2.5 million.
8. Don't keep it in storage
After searching through his storage unit for a passport, a Coburg man discovered a $1 million Weekday Windfall ticket.
"I had no idea until I went through my storage unit and found some old tickets. I was actually looking for my passport, but stumbled across them and just thought I'd give them a scan and see what's there. That's when the $1 million popped up."
9. Don't leave it in your Christmas or birthday card
Many Aussies are given lottery or Instant Scratch-Its tickets as gifts, but in some cases, these tickets remain unchecked in birthday or Christmas cards for extended periods of time.
10. Don't cut up your ticket
And it goes without saying, it's essential to keep your lottery tickets undamaged until your prize is claimed. A recent division one winner submitted only part of their syndicate share ticket, discarding the remainder under the assumption it was unnecessary. If you purchase a Syndicate ticket, refrain from cutting it into sections, even if it appears lengthy. Fortunately, after completing a Lost/Damaged Ticket Search Form, the winner was ultimately able to claim their prize.
Avoid missing out on a potential multi-million-dollar win and join The Lott Members Club today!
