OZ Lotto $70m jackpot: Tasmanian winner found, reveals he's planning to resign

West Australian

2 days ago

The mystery winner of Tuesday night's $70m Oz lotto jackpot has been found, and he's buzzing.
The emotional Tasmanian man purchased his ticket through online lottery reseller Oz Lotteries, taking out the entire division one prize pool.
The man says he repeatedly tried to log into his account well into the early hours of Wednesday morning.
'I have hardly slept all night. I was wondering if I was dreaming, and I was going to wake up and someone was going to say, it was all just a dream,' he said.
Early information from The Lott had suggested the winner was from Victoria.
Despite checking his Oz Lotteries account more than 15 times since 11pm Tuesday, he went to work this morning, doubting the win.
But the reality soon hit when the Oz Lotteries team called him first thing in the morning to confirm his 18 standard games ticket was the winning Division 1 entry.
'Oh wow. I don't have to come to work anymore, it's -1° here at the moment where I am working. I might just go and hand my resignation in right now,' he said.
The windfall means the lucky Tasmanian plans to retire immediately, purchase a home with his partner, and support his family.
'Buying a dream home with my partner and helping my family out. Oh, this is brilliant, absolutely brilliant…I've had a (rough) couple of years,' he said.
'I am just getting back on my feet and I still have a mortgage when everyone else (my age) is about to retire. I have been saying I will have to work until I am 70, but not now.'
In division two, 20 winners each took home more than $48,000, and 193 division three winners banked close to $6000.
There have already been three Oz Lotto division one wins totalling $185 million this year.
A $70 million Oz Lotto jackpot was won by a 15-share syndicate in Queensland, with each taking home a $4.7 million slice.
A western Sydney woman made history with a $100 million win in February, the game's most lucrative prize ever.
'Who is this? Why are you calling this late?' the winner told The Lott when contacted after the draw.
'What the hell! Can you repeat that? Oh my god! Don't lie to me!'
Just a few weeks later, $15 million was claimed by a North Queensland man.