Man enlists help of strangers to convince wife of $1 million win
A Perth man enlisted the help of strangers to convince his wife he was being serious when he called to break the news of their million-dollar lottery win.
The lucky man, who hails from the suburb of Hocking in Perth, is the owner of the winning Wednesday Lotto ticket that made him $1 million richer.
When speaking to lottery officials from Lotterywest, the millionaire said that he bought the Wednesday Lotto ticket on a whim.
“I went to buy a Set for Life ticket, but as I was looking at the prices of Wednesday Lotto tickets, I decided to buy one,” he explained.
He went on to say: “When I checked the ticket and realised I had won, I called my wife to tell her.”
The Perth local bought his winning ticket from Woodvale Boulevard Newsagency in Woodvale, WA.
When the man’s wife didn’t initially believe the news, he enlisted the help of strangers in the store to confirm it was true.
“She didn’t believe me, until she heard other people in the store yell down the phone to confirm I wasn’t joking,” the Perth winner laughed.
While celebrating in the Lotterywest Winner’s Room, the couple said they were blown away by the life-changing win.
“I didn’t even know he bought a ticket,” the excited woman explained.
‘Get excited’: Powerball jackpot soars to an incredible $60 million
Meanwhile, Lotterywest spokesperson James Mooney said Thursday's Powerball jackpot has reached a record breaking level for WA.
“The largest Division One win in WA history stands at $50 million, thanks to a ticket sold in Armadale in 2015,” said Mr Mooney.
However, Mr Mooney said that it would be nice to see the WA division one record grow to $60 million.
On Friday, Lotterywest announced that this Thursday’s Powerball reached a record $60 million.
The massive Powerball jackpot marks the fourth time this year that prize has reached this level.
Lotterywest spokesperson James Mooney said tickets will be in high demand for the $60 million Powerball draw 1332, which is set to be drawn on Thursday, November 25.
“For Thursday’s Powerball draw, we’re expecting up to 500 tickets sold per minute during the busiest hour of ticket sales,” he added.
Powerball tickets start from $2.40 for two games up to $60.50 for 50 games, with System and Powerpik tickets also available at an additional cost.
Mr Mooney said WA residents tend to get excited when Powerball starts to heat up and there are bigger prizes up for grabs.
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Lottery experts suggest players join a syndicate
Mr Mooney suggested that players get some close friends and family together to enjoy the win and increase your chance of winning.
“When it gets to these higher jackpot numbers, it’s an ideal time to get some friends or family on board and get a syndicate ticket to not only keep the cost down, but also enjoy the fun of sharing it with loved ones.”
About 20 per cent of all lottery jackpots are won by syndicates, meaning one in every five occasions a lotto jackpot goes off around the world is because players have decided to share the win.
Previously, The Lottery Office CEO Jaclyn Wood told Yahoo News Australia that joining a lottery syndicate is the most cost-effective way to increase your chances of hitting the jackpot.
“Ultimately, the more tickets you buy in a single draw, the more likely one of them is a winner, but there’s no promise that the cost of playing will be fully compensated, so my recommendation for players hungry for a win is to join a syndicate team,” Ms Wood told Yahoo News Australia.
This was certainly the case for the previous $60 million Powerball draw this year, which was won by 10 members of a Townsville syndicate who pocketed $6 million each.
Ms Wood also recommended a number of strategies for players to boost their odds, including playing Lotto Systems, so you can choose more numbers and increase your chances.
Tickets for the $60 million Powerball jackpot are available until 6pm on Thursday, November 25, from Lotterywest in-store, online or via the app.
If gambling is a problem for you go to Gambling Help Online or call 1800 858 858.
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