Two winning entries have taken out the $100m Powerball, only six weeks after one lucky Aussie claimed the biggest prize in the country.
The winning tickets in the equal-biggest jackpot by any Australian lottery game this year were sold in Victoria and NSW.
A Victorian mother was a little late to learn she’d won $50m after entering the wrong email when buying the ticket online.
The Melton woman only decided last minute to purchase a ticket online.
She only found out that she was now a multi-millionaire when she received a call at work on Friday.
“I can’t believe this. What a dream come true,” the woman said, according to The Lott.
“I had absolutely no idea. I’ve gone to work as per usual this morning and you’ve called to tell me that I’ve won $50m?
“I’m surrounded by some of my colleagues and they’re all clapping and cheering.
“You wouldn’t believe this. I purchased this winning ticket right before the draw closed.
“I purchased it around 7pm last night after remembering there was $100m up for grabs.”
The woman said the “absolutely life-changing” win would allow her to look after her children.
“My kids mean the world to me, and I’ll be able to set them up for the future,” she said.
“I’ll also look forward to saying goodbye to my job.
“Thank you so much.”
The other winning ticket was bought by 10 members of a syndicate in the Sydney suburb of Rosebery.
One member, who was watching the footy when lottery officials called him to tell him about the $50m win, was blindsided.
“Holy sh*t. Holy sh*t. Are you serious? I’ve won $5m?” the syndicate member said, according to the Lott.
“I’m in shock. You’ve changed my life.
“I’m watching football as we speak, and I had no idea who was calling.
“I can’t wait to call my mum and tell her the news – she won’t believe me.
“I’m going to buy a house and look after my brother and sister. They’re my priority.”
Another member of the syndicate said it was “unbelievable”.
“My wife is crying. I don’t have a mortgage anymore and my retirement will be much easier,” they said.
Shares in the winning 10-member NSW syndicate were sold at Rosebery North Newsagency.
The Powerball prize soared to a whopping $100m for Thursday night’s draw after five consecutive weeks where no single division one winner was drawn.
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The winning numbers were 13, 7, 18, 1, 23, 25, 33, and the Powerball number was 7.
As many as half of all Australian adults were expected go into the draw for the Powerball draw when entries closed at 7.30pm AEST.
A punter has to select all seven winning numbers plus the Powerball number in a single game to take home a division one prize, according to The Lott.
“The last time we had a $100m Powerball draw was only six weeks ago,” Lott spokeswoman Anna Hobdell said.
“A Bankstown dad pocketed the entire jackpot prize and became Australia’s second-biggest individual lottery winner.
“On that occasion, the peak of sales was at 6.29pm on the day of the draw when more than 8227 tickets were sold in a single minute.”
The chances of winning a division one Powerball are one in 134,490,400, half the chances of winning Oz Lotto, which are one in 62,891,499.