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As Aussies recover from the Christmas festivities and prepare for the New Year, there could be one more gift worth unwrapping – an unchecked lottery ticket!
With 24 unclaimed major lottery prizes across Australia worth more than $21.42 million, lottery officials are encouraging players to keep an eye out for unchecked lottery tickets they might find around the home or car this summer.
Twelve of the unclaimed prizes herald from New South Wales, five from Queensland, two each from the ACT, Victoria and Western Australia, and one from South Australia.
These winning unclaimed tickets were not registered to a player card or an online account, so lottery officials have no way of contacting the mystery winners to unite them with their prizes.
The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said some Aussies could be starting 2025 with a major prize in their bank account – they just needed to check their tickets.
“Whether it’s tucked in a drawer, stuck on the fridge or hidden in your wallet, that forgotten lottery ticket could hold the ultimate post-Christmas surprise – a major win!” he said.
“We’re in the business of paying prizes, so we’re reminding everyone to check any lottery tickets they find as they clean up around the home or car during the holidays. You could be one of the mystery winners we’re looking for.
“We’ve had some winners discover their good fortune months and even years after the winning numbers were drawn. They often tell us that their winning ticket was hiding in plain sight the whole time and just waiting to be checked.
“You can check your ticket in-store, online at thelott.com or via The Lott app.”
Mr Hart said the amount of time lottery players had to claim their prizes varies from state to state.
“For example, in Queensland, people have seven years to claim their lottery prizes, it’s six years in New South Wales and the ACT, and in Victoria, people have only 12 months to claim their prizes directly from us – after which time they can claim from the Victorian Government,” he said.
“The oldest unclaimed division one win is in Queensland – a ticket purchased in Helensvale won a Saturday Gold Lotto prize worth more than $671,000 from a draw held August 2018.
“One of the most recent and biggest unclaimed division one wins is from last month – a ticket purchased in Kiama won a Set for Life prize worth $4.8 million.”
Table 1: Unclaimed major lottery prizes across Australia
| Brand | Draw No | Win Date* | Selling outlet | Outlet Suburb | Outlet State | Division one prize |
| Saturday Gold Lotto
|
3867 | 11-Aug-18 | Golden Lucky News | Helensvale | Qld | $671,513.12 |
| Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot
|
1249 | 15-Mar-19 | Nextra Wynnum Plaza | Wynnum West | Qld | $200,000.00 |
| Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot
|
10280 | 1-Apr-19 | NewsExtra Springwood Mall | Springwood | Qld | $100,000.00 |
| Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot
|
1278 | 15-Apr-19 | Yagoona Newsagency | Yagoona | NSW | $200,000.00 |
| Saturday Gold Lotto
|
3961 | 6-Jul-19 | Gatton Plaza Newsagency | Gatton | Qld | $774,838.34 |
| Saturday Gold Lotto
|
3967 | 27-Jul-19 | News Worx | Victoria Point | Qld | $1,000,000.00 |
| Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot
|
1411 | 2-Aug-19 | Governor Macquarie Drive Newsagency | Chipping Norton | NSW | $200,000.00 |
| Set for Life
|
2072 | 8-Apr-21 | Thistle Kiosk | Woden | ACT | $4,800,000.00 |
| Saturday Lotto
|
4147 | 17-Apr-21 | Winston Hills Newsagency | Winston Hills | NSW | $1,145,653.60 |
| Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot
|
10467 | 7-Jun-21 | Anna Bay Newsagency & Post Office | Anna Bay | NSW | $100,000.00 |
| Saturday Lotto
|
4277 | 16-Jul-22 | Gifted & More Kaleen | Kaleen | ACT | $537,806.77 |
| Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot
|
10739 | 19-Dec-22 | Walsh's Village Pharmacy | Maroubra South | NSW | $100,000.00 |
| Monday & Wednesday Lotto
|
4360 | 29-Jan-24 | World News | Sydney | NSW | $1,000,000.00 |
| Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot
|
10874 | 13-Sep-24 | Greengate Newsagency Orange West CPA | Orange | NSW | $100,000.00 |
| Saturday Lotto (syndicate share)
|
4515 | 26-Oct-24 | Forrestfield Marketplace Newsagency | Forrestfield | WA | $167,187.00 |
| Saturday Lotto (syndicate share)
|
4519 | 9-Nov-24 | Sea Change News & Gifts | Dunsborough | WA | $74,697.00 |
| Set for Life
|
3404 | 30-Nov-24 | Nextra Kiama | Kiama | NSW | $4,800,000.00 |
| Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot
|
1692 | 9-Dec-24 | Warringah Mall Newsagency | Brookvale | NSW | $200,000.00 |
| Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot
|
10905 | 20-Dec-24 | Marrickville Metro Newsagency | Marrickville | NSW | $100,000.00 |
| Lucky Lotteries Super Jackpot
|
10906 | 23-Dec-24 | Tulls Newsagency | Forster | NSW | $100,000.00 |
| Weekday Windfall
|
4487 | 27-Dec-24 | Coburg Hub Lotto & The Deli | Coburg | Vic | $1,000,000.00 |
| Saturday X Lotto
|
4533 | 28-Dec-24 | Loxton Newsagency | Loxton | SA | $1,352,707.86 |
| TattsLotto
|
4533 | 28-Dec-24 | Oakleigh Central Lotto | Oakleigh | Vic | $1,352,707.86 |
| Saturday Lotto
|
4533 | 28-Dec-24 | Lismore Central Newspro | Lismore | NSW | $1,352,707.86 |
| Saturday Lotto
|
4533 | 28-Dec-24 | South Sydney Newsagency | Redfern | NSW | $1,352,707.86 |
*Editor’s note: this is the draw date, not the entry purchase date. Entries could have been purchased up to 10 weeks in advance of a draw.
With up to a third of Australian adults expected to have an entry into this weekend’s Saturday Lotto $30 Million Megadraw, Mr Hart reminded players to register their lottery tickets to ensure they were promptly united with their prizes.
“By registering your lottery ticket to The Lott Members Club either in-store or online, not only can we contact you directly after the draw if you win big, but any of your prizes are secure and we can still pay you your prizes – even if your ticket was to go astray!” he said.