Luckiest generation of Aussies revealed ahead of tonight’s $40m Oz Lotto draw

As Aussies around the country prepare to tackle the census tonight, another set of data sheds light on which residents are the luckiest.

Ahead of Tuesday night’s $40 million Oz Lotto draw, new research from The Lott has revealed which generation of Aussies has taken home the most division one wins from lotto-type games, and which names appear most often among winners.

Analysing four years’ worth of major prize wins, The Lott found that Australians over the age of 40 accounted for the majority of winners.

A staggering 45 per cent of those were Baby Boomers, followed by Generation X (35 per cent) and Millennials (9 per cent).

Those aged over 80 took out 8 per cent of wins, and were more likely to become millionaires than Aussies aged 30 and under (3 per cent).

The trend towards older winners is likely linked to the fact that more lottery players are seniors.

Research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies in 2023 found those aged 55 and older were “significantly more likely” than younger age groups to spend money on lottery tickets and scratchies.

Most common initials of winners revealed

Age wasn’t the only pattern to emerge.

The data also reveals which first name initials were the luckiest — with the letter J once again topping the list. It was the most common winning initial in 2024 and 2025 as well.

Names beginning with J took out 10.1 per cent of all wins, followed by the letters M and S (both 8.3 per cent of wins), A (7.9 per cent), and D (7.6 per cent).

The least common initials to win big were U and Z, while just one winner had a first name starting with X.

$40 million Oz Lotto jackpot highest for 2026

Tonight’s $40 million draw is Oz Lotto’s equal-biggest offer of 2026 so far.

The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said Tuesday night would be a big one for numbers.

“Across the country, Australians will be filling in their census forms on Tuesday night, but we might be making one life-changing phone call that changes someone’s household forever,” he said.

“Imagine ticking through the census questions when your phone rings and you discover you’ve just won $40 million.”

The other $40 million Oz Lotto jackpot was won back in February, after a Newcastle man held the only winning ticket.

The man missed calls from The Lott officials on the night of the draw, and only discovered his windfall the following morning.

“I’m in absolute shock!” he said when he finally answered the phone.

He said he had called his loved ones that morning to let them know their lives were about to change.

“I have rung everyone this morning and said, ‘your worries are going away – I’m going to look after all of you’.

“They say money doesn’t change your life. That’s rubbish! This just changed at least 10 people’s lives.”

His ticket was purchased at the last minute on the day before the draw.

If gambling is a problem for you, go to Gambling Help Online or call 1800 858 858.

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