US$3mil lottery winnings still unclaimed in Australia after one year

The punter bought the winning Set for Life lottery ticket in the coastal town of Kiama, New South Wales, on Nov 30, 2024. - THE LOTTERY CORPORATION

SINGAPORE: It has been almost a year since someone in Australia had won A$4.8 million (US$3 million) in a lottery draw, but he or she has yet to claim the winnings, lottery officials said.

The punter bought the winning lottery ticket in the coastal town of Kiama, New South Wales, on Nov 30, 2024.

The prize will be paid in A$20,000 monthly instalments over the next 20 years, but the winner has not claimed it.

This is because the punter has not registered the ticket to a Lott Members Club player card or online account, Australia’s lottery organisation the Lott said.

“It’s incredible to think someone has been walking around for 12 months, potentially unaware they’re a multi-millionaire,” the Lott spokeswoman Khat McIntyr said in a Nov 11 statement.

“Imagine how different their year could have been and how different the next 20 years still could be, with A$20,000 landing in their bank account every month.”

In New South Wales, lottery winnings must be claimed within six years from the date of the draw.

If the prize is not claimed, it ultimately “stays with NSW Lotteries to give back to the players”, the Lott said.

McIntyr urged anyone who purchased a Set for Life lottery ticket from Nextra at Kiama Village on Nov 30, 2024, to check their tickets for the winning numbers 33, 19, 40, 29, 28, 3 and 5.

“We’d love nothing more than this mystery winner to come forward, so be sure to check in all the weird and wonderful spots this ticket may be hiding,” she said. - The Straits Times/ANN