Lotto winner claims $2.1m after finding ticket in Christmas card six months after draw

Headshot of Peta Rasdien
Peta Rasdien
The Nightly
A Wonthaggi man forgot about the ticket he received in a Christmas card from his wife - now he's $2.1m richer.
A Wonthaggi man forgot about the ticket he received in a Christmas card from his wife - now he's $2.1m richer. Credit: TattsLotto

It’s six months late but a Victorian man has unwrapped the best Christmas present of his life — a Lotto ticket worth an eye-watering $2.1 million.

The Wonthaggi man’s wife gifted him the ticket in a Christmas card way back in December but he forgot to check it until recently.

He was one of 14 division one winning entries nationally in TattsLotto draw 4535, drawn January 4.

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Because the ticket, bought at Lucky Lotto Wonthaggi Plaza, was unregistered, officials had to wait until the man made contact to confirm the good news.

The man’s bank account is now about to get a life-changing $2,142,857.15 boost.

When he realised his long-delayed good fortune the man said the win was “surreal” and that he’d forgotten about the ticket because “life got in the way”.

“My wife always buys a lottery ticket for everyone in the family for Christmas,” he told TattsLotto officials.

“We’d been away on holiday for a month over summer, and with everything else going on when we got back, I completely forgot about the ticket.

“I only thought the other day that I should check the ticket. I couldn’t believe it.

“Things like this never happen to us.”

His thoughts are now turning to how to spend his millions with supporting his nearest and dearest a top priority.

“We’re going to divide it within the family.; share the prize around and help others,” he said.

“It will help many people!”

Last Wednesday, the mystery winner of Tuesday night’s $70m Oz lotto jackpot was found.

The Tasmanian man took out the entire division one prize pool.

“I have hardly slept all night. I was wondering if I was dreaming, and I was going to wake up and someone was going to say, it was all just a dream,” he said.

“Oh wow. I don’t have to come to work anymore, it’s -1° here at the moment where I am working. I might just go and hand my resignation in right now,” he said.

The windfall means the lucky Tasmanian plans to retire immediately, purchase a home with his partner, and support his family.

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