A Hervey Bay resident received the ultimate end-of-year surprise, discovering he had become a multi-millionaire after Saturday's Gold Lotto draw held on 30 December 2023.
The Queenslander's impromptu decision to buy a ticket paid off spectacularly, as he became one of the 13 lucky winners nationally, each securing a division one prize of $2,307,692.31.
“I’m just trying to get my head around it!” the ecstatic winner laughed when a lotto official called on Sunday to confirm his prize.
“I discovered it last night just after the draw. Initially, I couldn’t understand why all the numbers were red on The Lott app. Then I realised I had them all.
“It took my breath away! I thought, ‘that can’t be right’.
“I only got a little bit of sleep after that.
“This was just a QuickPick. I was out shopping yesterday, and I just thought I’d grab a ticket because it was a big draw. It was totally impromptu!
“It’s beautiful!
“Celebrations with our family have begun already!
“We want to do some home renovations, so that will come in very handy.”
The winning 18-game QuickPick was purchased at newsXpress Eli Waters, Shop 23, Eli Waters Shopping Centre, 2 Ibis Boulevard, Eli Waters.
newsXpress Eli Waters owner Monique Drew said they were celebrating selling another division one winning ticket.
“I’m sure we will all be celebrating a little extra tonight for New Year’s Eve,” she said.
“We sold a division one winning ticket in December last year, so it’s a big surprise to have sold another this December!
“This is the fifth division one win for this store and the third since we bought the store in 2019.
“We are so happy for our winner! What a way to start the new year! We wish them and their family all the best for a bright and happy 2024!”
The winning numbers in Saturday Gold Lotto draw 4429 on 30 December 2023 were 39, 38, 3, 2, 11 and 23, while the supplementary numbers were 22 and 35.
Across Australia, there were 13 division one winning entries in Saturday Gold Lotto draw 4429 – four each in New South Wales and Victoria, two in Western Australia and one each in Queensland, South Australia and the Northern Territory. You can find the draw winnings here: 13 Lucky Score Big in $30M Saturday Lotto Megadraw
