Why Sydney man waited one week to claim $1.1 million Lotto prize

A Sydney man waited for more than a week to come forward and claim his winnings, knowing full well he had won a $1.1 million Lotto prize.

On May 28, five people won the division one prize in Saturday Lotto and each won $1,114,916.27. One of the winners was a man from Pyrmont.

However, despite knowing he had won, he didn't come forward to officials from The Lott for over a week.

The man explained he had checked his ticket on the app on Sunday morning, a day after the draw, something he does every Sunday.

“I was just taking my time before coming and claiming the prize. I needed time to let it sink in," he admitted.

"Since last week, I’ve been doing quite a bit of calculation about what I’ll do with the prize."

He went on the explain it had been a "tough" few years for him and his family, so the $1.1 million will really help him out.

The man said he is looking to help out family and friends with the money, and may buy an investment property.

He also admitted he initially thought he had won $1000 when he checked the ticket. Eventually he realised he had won much more.

“It’s pretty good! It’s a pretty good feeling," he said.

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For years, the man had used the same Lotto numbers — he says the numbers aren't anything special, but he kept using them, claiming a few wins here and there before hitting the jackpot.

The winning ticket was purchased at Central Pyrmont Newsagency and owner Robert Tang said the winning entry created a "buzz" within the community.

“It’s such a memorable occasion when we sell a division one winning ticket, and we hope we sell many more," he said.

In Saturday Lotto draw 4263 on May 28, the winning numbers were 32, 17, 19, 15, 33 and 28, and the supplementary numbers were 24 and 2.

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