SOMEONE may have been walking around Newcastle for the past four months unaware they are $1 million richer.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
NSW Lotteries has called for help in finding the mystery millionaire, who bought a winning Saturday Lotto ticket in January but has not claimed the prize. The ticket was bought from the Marketown newsagency.
Until this week, Lotto had two mystery millionaires in the city, but a Newcastle woman has come forward to claim her $2 million division one prize from Saturday Lotto draw 3633 on May 14.
The winner, who bought her ticket at the newsagency in Waratah Shopping Village, admitted she had been aware of her win since the day after the draw.
“I’ve been keeping it very quiet,” the unidentified woman told NSW Lotteries.
“I’d heard news that there was a missing Saturday Lotto winner and knew it was me they were talking about!”
“I actually checked my ticket the day after the draw at home and I was in complete shock.”
“It’s something you dream about.
“I occasionally play Saturday Lotto and when I do I usually play my own favourite numbers but this time I popped into the newsagency and decided to buy a QuickPick instead!
“This win is just so wonderful! I’m going to buy myself a home with my prize money – I never thought I’d own my own home!”
Michael Phillips, who owns the Waratah post office and newsagency where the winning $2 million ticket was bought, was excited to learn the winning customer had been identified.
“We’ve had customers asking us every day if there’s been any news on our missing division one winner - now I’ll be able to give them an update,” he said.
“Fingers crossed we can now add to our tally.”
NSW Lotteries encourages customers to register entries to a NSW Lotteries Players Club card so they can be contacted directly with news of a big win.
As it waits for word from the $1 million-winning Marketown ticket buyer, it is urging customers to check wallets, purses, drawers and piles of papers around the home for any forgotten Saturday Lotto tickets, or to urge friends who are regular Lotto ticket buyers to do the same.
