Lotto officials in ‘frantic’ scramble after $585,000 winner leaves the country: ‘Unique situation’

Lottery officials have spent nearly two weeks trying to locate a woman they informed was now $585,000 richer. Little did they know she left the country moments after being told the life-changing news.

The South Australian just so happened to be rushing to the airport for an overseas holiday when she received a voicemail from The Lott about the Saturday Lotto division one prize from February 28.

“I was running out the door and I quickly listened to the messages on the answering machine. I wasn’t sure if it was real or not,” she said.

While overseas, she said she started following the hunt for a winner, increasingly believing it was in fact her.

“I started to see they were frantically looking for the winner. I saw it on Facebook and even the news. I was thinking ‘It’s me!’ but I wasn’t sure what to do because I was overseas.”

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Returning 11 days later, she was able to confirm her prize with officials. The woman shared a special detail with The Lott about her win, revealing the winning numbers were her mother’s, who passed away more than 30 years ago.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, The Lott spokesperson Khat McIntyre said the wait to hear from the winner was a “very unique situation”.

“We were surprised the initial call went unanswered, as most winners tend to call us straight back but it just goes to show that life doesn’t stop, even when you’ve won big!

“In this case, the winner was quite literally on her way out the door to catch a flight, which made the wait to connect with her all the more unusual.”

Aussies gear up for $50 million Powerball

It comes as the Powerball rolled over to $50 million last week after no division one winners. 

Lottery officials believe one in six Australians will have a ticket for Thursday’s draw.

Weeks earlier, a Melbourne man walked away with the entire Powerball jackpot, claiming a cool $80 million.

And a $100 million prize is remarkably still up for grabs from 2025, with the owner of the winning ticket purchased in Sydney’s Bondi Junction never coming forward.

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