Editor’s note: Images and overlay here. Interviews and grabs from The Lott available on request.
Could someone in your family be a secret lottery millionaire?
According to new research from The Lott, some players initially wouldn’t tell anyone about their major lottery win – not even their own partner or children.
When the confetti bursts and the champagne pops after a win, more than half of players (54%) say they’d tell their beloved spouse or partner first before anyone else.
Further down the list to first hear the life-changing news are family (15%), children (14%) and siblings (3%).
But not everyone spills the beans… Surprisingly, about one in ten players (9%) said they wouldn’t tell anyone about their good fortune (including those with partners).
And what are their reasons?
- “Worried about being hit up for cash” (49%)
- “Wanting time to plan before telling anyone” (27%)
- “Simply preferring to keep the win private” (20%).
To tell or not tell the kids? Only about 65% of parents said they’d tell their children about a division one win.
For those that wouldn’t, the key reasons cited included:
- Wanting to surprise them later with gifts or support (20%)
- Concerns the children would expect money (9%)
- A desire to instil a healthy work ethic (8%).
However, the children’s ages matters. The younger the children, the more likely they’d be kept in the dark about the parent’s good fortune until they were older.
Just under half (46%) of parents with children aged 1-10 years would tell their children soon after winning.
For those parents with older children, this figure grows to:
- 63% for parents with children aged 11-17 years
- 61% for parents with children aged 18-29 years
- 74% for parents with children aged 30-39 years
- 66% for parents with children aged 40 or more years.
Only 6% said their children were too young to understand, and a small number of respondents even admitted they’d tell one child but not the others!
The Lott spokesperson Khat McIntyre said the findings painted a picture of Aussie winners’ focus on hearts, households and close-knit circles.
“When we give winners the life-changing news over the phone, more often than not, the first thing they want to do is share the news with their significant other,” she said.
“Sometimes their partner is there beside them screaming in excitement, while other times the winner can’t wait to surprise their partner with a phone call or by showing them their winning ticket.
“For most, it’s about connection and sharing the moment with the people who matter most. For others, it’s about creating a surprise that will be remembered forever.
“And while most winners tell someone, there are a select few who tell no one, which begs the question, could your parents, a sibling or even a neighbour be a secret millionaire?”
