A Melbourne couple has discovered a Powerball ticket worth A$20 million that had been sitting on their refrigerator, officials said, and confirmed the ticket was one of four division one winning entries in the draw on Thursday, Sept. 4.
The couple, who are grandparents, told lottery officials they had not realised the ticket was a winner because it was not registered with The Lott Members Club and had been left on their fridge while they were busy. "That's insane. I'm in shock," the winning wife said when contacted by The Lott. "This is unbelievable. We had no idea, and this whole time the ticket was just sitting on our fridge."
The winning entry was a QuickPick purchased from East Brighton Newsagency in Victoria, according to The Lott. The numbers in Powerball draw 1529 were 9, 22, 23, 3, 13, 28 and 32, with the Powerball number 5. Across Australia there were four division one winning entries in that draw: two in Victoria and one each in Queensland and Western Australia.
Because the winning ticket had not been registered, The Lott had no way to contact the holders and had to wait for them to check their ticket and come forward. When officials reached the couple, they said they would use the windfall to look after family members and to buy a small house. "We've worked really hard all our lives. We'll look after our children and grandchildren, and we'll be able to buy a little house," the winning wife said. She added that she was unsure whether she would continue working.
Sajjad Sadeghi Goorbandi, owner of East Brighton Newsagency, said he was delighted to have sold a division one winning ticket. "I can't believe it - this is the best news," he said, adding it was the first division one ticket his shop had sold since he took over two years ago.
The Lott said the draw raises its division one winning tally to 301 so far in 2025. In fiscal year 2025, 23 Powerball division one winning entries across Australia paid out more than A$636 million in prize money.
Lottery officials confirm winners must present winning tickets to claim prizes and urged players to check tickets after draws and to consider registering them with The Lott Members Club so officials can contact winners directly. The identity of the Melbourne couple was not released publicly and the winners did not disclose further personal details beyond their immediate plans.
The discovery highlights recurring instances in which unregistered or unclaimed tickets are found by holders days, weeks or even months after a draw. The Lott processes claims according to standard procedures and pays verified winners following submission of the original ticket and supporting identification, The Lott said.