Powerball: The 'agonising' mistake that cost 15 Aussies $100m jackpot
This week's Powerball jackpot has reached record new heights with draw 1380 on Thursday offering $160 million.
But it would not be the case if 15 Aussies hadn't made one simple mistake that cost them their share of last week's $100m jackpot.
15 people across the country walked away with an impressive $139,057.90 last week. They were all just one number shy of pocketing the multi-million-dollar division one prize.
These players had the seven winning numbers, but not the Powerball number, meaning they won division two instead.
How could it have been different? The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said if they'd simply played a PowerHit entry, which guarantees the Powerball, they would have walked away with a division one win.
"We’re not quite sure if the recent Powerball division two winners realise how agonisingly close they’ve been to taking home a life-changing windfall," he said.
How much Aussie winners could have won
In fact, since the jackpot started rolling in mid-September, 34 players in the past five draws have been just one number shy of taking out a multi-million-dollar division one prize.
Collectively, they've won over $4.17 million in prize money, but it could have been much more.
Before last week's $100 million jackpot, the prize was $50 million. That draw — draw 1378 — had eight division two winners, all missing out on the lucky Powerball number.
Instead of their share of $50 million, they got $110,500.85 each.
Draw 1377 had $30 million up for grabs. Seven players missed out on the Powerball number and walked away with $77,169.25 instead.
$20 million was on offer the week before that in draw 1376, but rather than a division one winner, there was three division two winners instead — one each from NSW, Victoria and Queensland — each pocketing $136,268.45.
Draw 1375 had a cool $8 million jackpot. There was just one division two winner from NSW who could have walked away with the lot had they got the Powerball.
But instead of scoring the $8 million win, they instead got $257,971.35.
The $160 million Powerball draw 1380 will take place on Thursday October 27 and be drawn at 8.30pm AEST (9.30pm AEDT). The jackpot has reached this level after there were no division one winners during the past five draws.
Nearly half of Australian adults are expected to purchase a ticket, according to The Lott spokesperson James Eddy.
If gambling is a problem for you, go to Gambling Help Online or call 1800 858 858.
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