Eyes on the $70m Lotto prize
One Powerball and a lucky Lotto player could be $70 million richer Thursday night.
One in two adult West Australians is expected to buy a ticket for the draw, with five million to be sold nationally.
Lotterywest spokeswoman Pina Compagnone said the jackpot was the highest in Australia this year and the second-highest in the game’s history.
“The incredible jackpot offer, which reached $80 million in 2009, is the result of no one in the nation being able to match Powerball’s winning numbers for the past seven weeks,” Ms Compagnone said.
“If a single player takes out tomorrow night’s big prize it will rewrite the history books as the largest Lotto prize ever won in the nation.
“That record currently sits at $58.7 million and was won by a Victorian syndicate in 2008.”
For those keen to try their luck, the most popular Powerball number drawn this year (five times) is 15; while one of the State’s luckiest lottery outlets is Northlands News in Balcatta, which recently sold two division one tickets in six weeks.
Owners Hasu and Pravina Gohil said the wins had attracted customers from “very far” and many were taking the time to rub the tummy of the store’s lucky Buddha statue.
Other stores to sell division one tickets this year are Heights Lottery Centre and News in Alexander Heights; Nextra Forum West Newsagency in Mandurah; Pinjarra News and General Store; Stratton Park News and Gifts.
“More than 450,000 (WA) players have already shared in prizes worth almost $10 million over this jackpot run," Ms Compagnone said.
"The WA community has also been a big winner, with Lotterywest raising $16 million for local hospitals, sports and arts groups and thousands of not-for-profit organisations over this jackpotting cycle."
Tickets for the $70 million Powerball jackpot are available until 6pm Thursday.
