A Wangaratta dad has declared he is “a bit excited” after discovering he had won $461,579.14 in TattsLotto on Saturday night.
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The man held one of nine division-one winning entries nationally from the draw – five of which were from Victoria.
The Wangaratta winner plans to pay off his home and retire early as he professed he is “half worn out already”.
The regular player, who wished to remain anonymous, purchased his 24-game marked entry at West End Lotto in Phillipson Street.
As well as winning division one, he also boosted his winnings by collecting division five as well.
When speaking with a Tatts official on Monday morning to confirm the win, the winner revealed he had discovered his win earlier in the company of his whole family.
“I got an email to say I had won a substantial amount and I was at my mum and dad’s place when I got it,” he said.
“My kids took me home and logged me in, and they all started screaming at me.
“They logged in online and my daughter said to me ‘you’ve won Dad!’ and I asked her – ‘how much? $1000 bucks?’.
“Then she said ‘No dad, you’ve really won! You’ve won $461,000!’.
“I just couldn’t speak, I was completely dumbfounded. I still can’t believe it!
“It is such an incredible amount of money to win. And there were nine division one winners which is just great. I’ll be debt free. I’ll pay the house off.
“I’ll keep working for a little while but not as hard. This will set me up for life. I’ll be retire a few years earlier than I was going to.
“In a couple of years I’ll sit back and relax I think. I’m half worn out already.”
The regular player revealed he had spent Saturday night celebrating with his family, whose birth dates had inspired the winning numbers on his marked entry.
“We started playing these numbers a few years ago. I’ve kept the same numbers for the last four years I suppose.
“There are a few birthdays in there and when I won they all kept asking me ‘which numbers were they?’ but I couldn’t remember because I never look at them.
“I buy 10 advanced entries with the same numbers and then put a reminder on my phone to remind me to put them on again.”
Diane Worthington, owner of West End Lotto, said she was thrilled to have sold another division one winning entry.
“We’ve been here for 31 years and we have sold nine division one winning entries in that time,” she said.
“We are so pleased it has gone to a regular customer and a local to the area. We wish them all the best.”