Queensland Lands $30M Lottery Winner, but International Competition on the Rise

Posted on: July 7, 2022, 09:28h. 

Last updated on: July 7, 2022, 11:32h.

Erik Gibbs Read More
Expertise: Asia Pacific Gaming, Gaming Business, Global Gaming.

Only about a week ago, someone from Canberra, Australia, picked up AU$60 million (US$40.77 million) after matching all the right numbers in a Powerball lottery draw. The latest Oz Lotto draw has produced another multimillionaire, with someone in Queensland landing the big prize.

Oz Lotto
A lottery player checks her numbers after purchasing a ticket for the Oz Lotto. This past Tuesday’s draw produced another multimillionaire. (Image: The Lott)

This past Tuesday, a lottery player hit the right combination of numbers in the Oz Lotto, leading to an AU$30-million (US$20.47 million) score. The winner purchased the ticket in a suburb of Brisbane, which narrows the scope for those who may have played Tuesday night.

So far, no one has claimed the prize. There’s still time, though, as Queensland, the home of Brisbane, gives lottery winners a large window of opportunity to file a claim.

Check Your Tickets

In many cases, winners of Oz Lotto draws receive their winnings automatically. However, this requires that they make their purchases with a registered account. In this case, there is no registration, which means the winner is on his or her own to come forward.

For registered winners who hit the big jackpot, they receive the prize within 21 days after the draw, according to the Oz Lotto. However, this doesn’t apply to winners in Victoria or Tasmania, which have their own rules, because of the presence of Tabcorp.

If officials can’t get in touch with the winner, the individual has six months in Victoria and Tasmania to come forward. If not, claiming the prize is difficult. In New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, the limit is six years.

However, in Queensland, winners have more than enough leeway. They can wait up to seven years to claim their prize.

In addition to Tuesday night’s big winner, there were plenty of other lottery players to pocket cash. Some 562,953 matched a combination of numbers to receive a combined AU$11.78 million (US$8.04 million).

Oblivious Winners

There are plenty of reasons why people wait when they win big. They may want to get their affairs in order, or discuss their options with an attorney or financial advisor. They also may want to keep it a secret from their inner circle.

There’s also the possibility that they don’t realize they won. For some, buying a lottery ticket is second nature, and they forget about it afterward. A man in New Zealand experienced that recently, unaware that the ticket he carried for a week was a winner.

As reported by media outlet Oz Lotto, the man purchased his ticket in Tikipunga, a suburb of Whangārei, New Zealand. He then didn’t touch it for a week. When he finally checked his numbers at a store, he found out he won NZ$1 million (US$617,600).

Aussie Lottery Sees More Competition

There are already plenty of lottery options in Australia, but the field is going to become more crowded. The Lottery Office and Blueshyft, a payments platform, have partnered to allow Australians to take part in lotteries around the globe.

This partnership will allow players to access the largest lotteries in the world from more than 1,400 Newsagents throughout Australia. Jaclyn Woods, CEO of The Lottery Office, stated that the arrangement will increase players’ confidence in depositing online. Newsagents will be paid a percentage of in-store deposits or a dollar amount. They will also receive a referral fee for every new customer.

The partnership agreement includes the EuroMillions, the US Super Lotto, and the Italian Mega Jackpot. To participate, players can deposit in fiat or cryptocurrencies using the Blueshyft platform.