Lotto winner’s 15-year commitment finally pays off with $1.4 million jackpot

One Aussie's dedication to playing the same numbers has cumulated into a huge lottery win.

An Aussie man’s 15-year commitment to playing the same numbers has finally paid off after bagging a whopping $1.4 million in the Saturday Lotto.

The Lismore local was left stunned by the revelation he’s one of seven freshly minted millionaires thanks to Saturday Lotto draw 4431 after he’d kept the winning ticket stashed in his car.

The winning numbers were 17, 12, 36, 42, 13 and 34, and the supplementary numbers were 41 and 38. The seven division one winners each scored $1,428,571.43.

A man holding a Saturday lotto ticket (left) with lotto balls on the right.
The Saturday Lotto winner played the same numbers for over 15 years. Source: The Lott.

"I’ve been taking these numbers for a very long time – maybe 15 years or more," the winner said when an official from The Lott after he had to sprint to the car to find his valuable Saturday Lotto ticket to confirm the win. “I don’t take them every week. I’m glad I took them this week.”

Reacting to the win, he said: "I’m stunned to tell you the truth! I don’t know what to say. It’s a big shock," admitting it’s been "a tough few years".

The man, from the Northern Rivers of NSW, said he’d need time to fully comprehend the prize before deciding what to do with the money.

Brothers sell two division one tickets

The winning ticket was purchased at Lismore Square News in northern NSW. Owner David Forsyth said his brother Doug, who owns Blackheath Newsagency, also sold a division one winning entry in the same draw.

"What are the odds of both of our shops selling a division one win for the same draw!" he exclaimed. "We wish our latest division one winner all the very best with their prize!"

Seven winners across the country

Across Australia, there were seven division one winning entries in the Saturday Lotto draw, with four in New South Wales and one each in Queensland, Victoria and South Australia.

A Victorian council worker’s dream of retiring and relocating to be closer to his children has come true after he took home $1.4 million while a South Australian man thought he’d done well scoring a $1,400 prize in until he checked his ticket again and realised he’d won more than $1.4 million.

"I initially thought I’d won $1,400 or something. But then I thought, ‘hang on, the commas in the wrong place and there’s too many digits," he said. "There may have been a few expletives after that!"

The Lott’s division one winning tally has now reached 216 so far. In 2023, Saturday Lotto created 176 millionaires across Australia.

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