A Kirrawee man has confessed he initially thought he'd won $1,000, not $1 million, in Friday's Weekend Windfall draw as his brain refused to compute the enormity of his win.
The Southern Sydney resident held one of the three division one winning entries nationally in Weekday Windfall draw 4571, drawn Friday 11 July 2025. Each division one winning entry pocketed $1 million.
"I've had a very sleepless weekend - I was just so excited," the happy man exclaimed when speaking to us this morning.
"I didn't check my ticket until 10am on Saturday morning. Normally, I check my tickets around 9pm on the night of the draw, but this one was weird - I just kept putting it off for some reason.
"When I finally looked at my ticket, it didn't click at first. I had ticked all the numbers and thought, 'Oh, it's $1,000'. Then I showed my daughter, and she said, "Dad! It's $1 million!'.
"I just didn't believe it. My brain just wouldn't compute what I was seeing. I was in shock. I kept saying, 'Oh my god!' and a few other colourful words."
The stunned winner admitted he didn't get much sleep on the weekend as his mind struggled to process his good fortune.
"It's absolutely amazing. This is my ticket to freedom," he said.
"It's such a load off. There were bills I was worrying about, and now they're gone.
"I've always said the only reason I play is for my kids - when I win, they all win.
"This changes our lives. I'll give $100,000 to each of my kids - they're all adults with their own families now.
"People used to say, 'Oh, you're crazy to keep playing', but I'd always say, 'You've got to be in it to win it'.
"But I think I still won't believe it until I see all the zeros in my bank account.
"It's surreal!"
The man's winning entry was purchased at One Stop Shop, 70 Acacia Road, Kirrawee.
One Stop Shop owner Dennis Liang said the win marked the third division one winning ticket his outlet had sold during the past 11 years.
"It's that magical moment every lotto agent dreams of, and to witness that pure joy firsthand was absolutely incredible. We're over the moon for our lucky winner and thrilled that Kirrawee now has a new millionaire!" he said.
"You should see the buzz that's already started! When word gets out, I expect our regulars will be popping in all week - some to congratulate us, others hoping to catch the winning vibe.
"There's something magical about a local shop selling a big winner - suddenly everyone's dreaming bigger and checking their tickets extra carefully."
