A local woman’s dream of hiring a private chef is finally on the menu after scoring a life-changing $2.2 million division one TattsLotto win in Saturday’s draw.
The East Gippsland resident held one of nine division one winning entries nationally in TattsLotto draw 4697, held on Saturday, July 25, with each entry taking home $2,222,222.23.
Remarkably, Bairnsdale welcomed two division one winners from the same draw, with another local woman also celebrating a matching $2.2 million windfall.
Although the winner had registered her ticket to The Lott Members Club, lottery officials were initially unable to deliver the news because the phone number listed on her account was out of service.
When finally reached, the winner admitted she had almost given up on her four-decade routine.
“I’ve been playing the same lottery numbers for 40 years, and the other day I said to my daughter, ‘I think this will be the last time I put a ticket on,'” she said.
“Imagine if I had given up! I normally only win a little prize, but this is a life-changer.
“I heard the other day there were two division one winners from Bairnsdale and I thought to myself, ‘Oh, you lucky buggers’. Little did I know, one of them was me.”
When asked about her plans for the windfall, the winner said a long-held dream might soon become reality.
“I always used to say I would employ a chef to cook for me every night if I was to win big — now that it’s happened, maybe a chef to cook every second night will be more realistic,” she laughed.
“I will put the prize in my bank account and sit on it for six months. I can live off the interest comfortably.”
Her winning marked System 7 entry was purchased at Bairnsdale Lotto on Bailey Street.
Bairnsdale Lotto owner Anthony Scott said he was shocked to discover the outlet had sold two division one winning tickets for the exact same draw.
“Selling one is fantastic… but we sold two. I can’t believe it,” Mr Scott said.
“I think customers will be very happy as it’s been about three years since we sold the last one. Congratulations to our winners, we wish you many happy years ahead.”
The winning numbers in TattsLotto draw 4697 were 12, 43, 2, 22, 8, and 6, with supplementary numbers 28 and 13.
