Two Hunter residents have unlocked a treasure trove of newfound fortune following the Monday & Wednesday Lotto draw.
Each collected $800,000, making it a $1.6 million windfall for the region.
The duo, from Mount Hutton and Port Stephens respectively, held one of the five division one winning entries apiece.
So far in 2023, there have been 20 winners in the Hunter and Central Coast, collectively taking home more than $38.07 million in prizemoney.
The Mount Hutton woman woke to the wondrous news after using her late mum’s cherished lottery numbers on her entry.
An official from The Lott reached out to the long-time player, who had just checked her ticket and was flushed with emotion.
“We’ve been laughing, crying,” she said.
“It’s unreal. I was in shock.
“I checked my ticket this morning (Thursday 27 July) and, at first, I thought I’d won $805. I thought it was enough to keep me going.
“Then I realised, ‘hang on. There’s more zeros at the end’… I couldn’t believe it.
“While I’ve been playing Lotto for many years, I’ve been playing these exact numbers consistently in the past six months.
“I chose them because of my mum.
“She’s no longer with us and I wanted to keep her legacy going.
“I’m sure she’s looking down at me today.
“I’ve already phoned my children and told them the winning news: they’re absolutely delighted.”
The merry mother shared she couldn’t wait to retire after decades of working and go on a long-awaited overseas holiday with her family.
“My job can be stressful but very rewarding,” she said.
“Now my retirement dream can become a reality.
“I’ve always wanted to pay for my family and grandchildren to go on a holiday, too.
“So, now I can plan to go a big family holiday.”
Her marked System 8 entry was purchased at Nextra Mt Hutton at Lake Macquarie Square.
Manager Amanda Gribble said she was beaming with excitement after finding out her store had sold a division one winning entry.
“We were so excited to hear that one of our customers had landed $800,000 – what a great prize,” she stated.
“We have decorated our newly-renovated store up with balloons to share the excitement with our customers.
“They’ll be pleased to know their local newsagency has sold a division one win.
“Congratulations to our winner and we thank them for supporting our outlet.
“We hope this division one win allows them to conquer some amazing dreams and aspirations.”
Port Stephens man surprised by $800,000 Lotto workday bonus
A Port Stephens man in his 20s has had his workday interrupted by the revelation he scored $800,000, too.
The winner was completely oblivious to his win until an official from The Lott made contact.
“I’m sweating and shaking… I’m over the moon,” he said.
“I’ve just had a look at the ticket and it’s shocked me a little bit.
“I’ve got a birthday coming up and this is an awesome present.
“I’m going to put this straight on a house.
“I’ve been working towards getting my first home and this will give me a boost.
“It will help me out a lot. A lot of friends of mine are battling with rate rises, so it will be incredible to buy a house and not have a mortgage.
“You’ve made my day.”
The man’s winning marked 50-game entry was purchased online at thelott.com – the official home of Australia’s lotteries.
The winning numbers in Monday & Wednesday Lotto draw on Wednesday 26 July were 37, 24, 35, 20, 15 and 30, while the supplementary numbers were 32 and 7.
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