Video grabs about Instant Scratch-Its hotspots available here
Audio grabs about Instant Scratch-Its hotspots available here
Editor’s note: Images and overlay here. Interviews and grabs from The Lott available on request.
If you’ve ever wondered if you live in a lucky suburb or town, now’s the time to check the map, with The Lott revealing the Aussie postcodes that delivered the most Instant Scratch-Its top prize wins over the past 12 months.
The research comes ahead of Mother’s Day on Sunday 10 May 2026 – one of the most popular times of the year for Instant Scratch-Its gift-giving.
Between 1 April 2025 and 31 March 2026, there were 159 Instant Scratch-Its top prize winners nationally who collectively took home more than $12.25 million in prize money.
The Sunshine State took out the top spot for Instant Scratch-Its top prizes, totalling more than $4.3 million in prize money. The winning tally was boosted by a Miami woman who scratched her way to a record-breaking $1.5 million, the biggest Instant Scratch-Its top prize ever won in Australia.
Victorian players closely followed suit, enjoying 47 top prize wins collectively worth more than $3.2 million, while New South Wales claimed 39 top prize wins totalling more than $3 million.
Table 1: The number and value of Instant Scratch-Its top prizes by state and territory during the last year
The data also reveals the postcodes in each state and territory that have sold more than one top prize-winning Instant Scratch-Its during the past year (Table 2).
In Queensland, the postcode of 4670 for Bundaberg led the nation, with four top prizes totalling $111,829.00.
Hermit Park News & Casket was the only Queensland outlet to sell two Instant Scratch-Its top prize-winning tickets during the past 12 months.
In Victoria, the postcode of 3121 for Richmond sold three top prizes. Victoria Gardens Lotto in Richmond sold three top prize-winning Instant Scratch-Its tickets, while NewsXpress Armstrong Creek and Beach Street Newsagency each sold two top prizes.
In New South Wales, the postcodes of 2340 for Tamworth sold three Instant Scratch-Its top prize-winning tickets.
Meanwhile, The Plaza News in Coffs Harbour was the only New South Wales outlet to sell two Instant Scratch-Its top prizes.
In Tasmania, more than half of the state’s top prize-winning Instant Scratch-Its were sold across Hobart, including at Bellerive Newsagency & Post Office, Claremont Newsagency and Rokeby Store Lotto.
In the ACT, inner-south Canberra shone, with two top prizes sold at Macka's Griffith Newsagency and Jiparu Cellars.
In South Australia, Northern Adelaide came out on top, with four top prizes sold across Hollywood Lotto & Gifts, Redwood Park IGA Everyday, OTR Elizabeth and Churchill Centre Newsagency.
Table 2: The postcodes where multiple top prize-winning Instant Scratch-Its were sold during the past year
Table 3: Biggest individual Instant Scratch-Its top prizes won in each state and territory during the past year
| State | Postcode where the prize was won | Biggest individual top prize won |
| Queensland | 4216 (Biggera Waters) | $1,500,000.00 |
| New South Wales | 2450 (Coffs Harbour) | $500,000.00 |
| Victoria | 3216 (Belmont), 3400 (Horsham), 3555 (Golden Square) and 3350 (Ballarat East) | $250,000.00 |
| South Australia | 5039 (Edwardstown) | $250,000.00 |
| Tasmania | 7248 (Invermay) | $250,000.00 |
| Australian Capital Territory | 2614 (Macquarie) | $150,000.00 |
The Lott spokesperson Eliza Wregg said Instant Scratch-Its top prize wins spanned far and wide across the country, and with Mother’s Day around the corner, the next big surprise could be just a scratch away.
“From Cairns to Hobart and Tamworth to Goolwa, last year we saw Instant Scratch-Its top prize wins land far and wide across cities and regional towns,” she said.
“Some players chase outlets that have a track record of big wins, while others tell us they like seeing if they can make their mark on the map elsewhere.
“With Mother’s Day just around the corner, Instant Scratch‑Its remain one of the most popular gifts, and you never know where the next big surprise could land.”
Ms Wregg said recent winners had used their prizes to pay off homes, upgrade cars, take dream holidays, renovate, and even transform their smiles.
“One Seaford mum upgraded her grin with a brand-new set of pearly whites after winning $100,000, while a Youngtown mum working in hospitality went from clearing tables to clearing $100,000 on a free Instant Scratch‑Its ticket,” she said.
“Imagine surprising mum with a top prize-winning Instant Scratch-Its ticket this Mother’s Day – it would be a gift she’d never forget.
“Remember, you can now check your Instant Scratch-Its tickets online at thelott.com or The Lott app to see if you’re a winner.”
