A Corowa couple who won a $24,000 Instant Scratch-Its top prize has admitted they kept the winning ticket on their fridge for almost three months until the time was right to claim it.
The top prize winning $5 24K Gold Instant Scratch-Its ticket was purchased at Gyles Newsagency, 65 Sanger Street, Corowa.
This afternoon, an official from The Lott reached out to one of the winning duo, who admitted their dream of a new car was about to become a reality thanks to their major win.
“I bought this Instant Scratch-Its ticket myself. But it wasn’t for me; it was for my husband,” she laughed.
“I rarely buy Instant Scratch-Its tickets, but on this particular day, I had some change left over , and so I thought I’d pick one up for my husband as a surprise.
“He was so shocked when he scratched it and saw we’d won the top prize.
“It was so unbelievable! We were so overwhelmed by it all. We checked the ticket about 10 times.
“We won this prize back in January, but we’ve been so busy, and we wanted to go into the head office together, so it’s taken us a long time to claim this prize.
“You wouldn’t believe it, but the ticket’s just been stuck on the fridge since my hubby scratched it. So there was just $24,000 right on the fridge this whole time! It’s quite funny.
“We will use $20,000 of the prize to buy a car, as we desperately need one. Then we’ll use the rest to spoil ourselves.”
Gyles Newsagency owner Peter Tait said his team was over the moon for the local couple.
“We were so excited. We’re always so excited when someone wins a big prize,” he said.
“Before the woman bought it, she told us they needed a new car, and then they had this win – so I guess that means they’re getting a new car!
“Knowing it’s brought the couple so much joy is just incredible. We’re so happy for them and wish them the best of luck.
“We can’t wait for our next big win. It’s always such a fantastic moment for everyone.”
In 2021, there were 157 Instant Scratch-Its top prize winners across The Lott’s jurisdictions who collectively took home more than $10 million in top prizes.