Cleaning out a handbag has never been so lucrative for one Chermside woman who this week discovered a forgotten Instant Scratch-Its ticket held one of the top prizes of $100,000.
The retired woman purchased her winning $5 Cash Multiplier Instant Scratch-Its ticket at Nextra Express Chermside, Shop 1192, Westfield Chermside, Gympie Road, Chermside.
Speaking to a Golden Casket official today, the Brisbane woman confessed she was only just starting to believe her $100,000 win was real.
“I scratched it yesterday, but I didn’t believe it,” she said.
“I bought it last Friday, but I had forgotten about it. I sometimes do that. I get home and forget about them in my bag. Then after a while, I do a clean out and then I find them and think ‘oh, I’d better scratch that’.
“So I scratched this one and thought ‘that’s not right. I don’t win things like that. That can’t be right’.
“I thought I must have done something wrong. I thought maybe it doesn’t really mean I’ve won $100,000.
“I didn’t believe it. I just didn’t believe it. But now I’m here collecting the prize, I believe it now!”
The retired lady joked her top prize win had been quite a shock to the system.
“I don’t think I’ll go out celebrating. I feel like I’d better go home and go to bed!” she laughed.
“It’s a bit of a shock. I’ve never won anything like this on an Instant Scratch-Its. I just buy them for a bit of fun. I wasn’t expecting this!”
As for how she’ll use her instant windfall, the local resident shared she wouldn’t make any big decisions until she saw the zeros multiple in her bank account.
“It’s a nice nest egg I can tell you that!” she said.
Nextra Express Chermside manager Shannon Hickey said the news was a wonderful surprise.
“What incredibly exciting news leading up to Christmas,” he said.
“This top prize sale adds to the long list of winners we’ve had at our Chermside stores.”
Last financial year, there were 158 Instant Scratch-Its top prize winners across the Lott’s jurisdictions who collectively took home more than $11.28 million.
The latest range of Instant Scratch-Its tickets are available at Golden Casket outlets.
It can happen in an instant. It could happen to you.