A Brisbane resident has shared his excitement after winning over $367,000 from the latest Saturday Gold Lotto draw, prompting plans to pay off his mortgage and set out on overseas adventures. The lucky Hemmant man was one of 13 winners of Division One from draw number 4543, which took place on February 1, 2025. Each winning entry netted $367,448.93.
“Thank you so much!” he exclaimed when speaking with Lottery officials. “It’s funny, I don’t normally check my tickets right away, but for some reason, I did for this one.” He reflected on his nearly two-decade-long play of the lottery. “I told my wife and she’s so excited too. I think she’s already spent it all in her head!”
He indicated his plans for the windfall, stating, “It will help with our mortgage. We’re also looking to book a holiday! We’re thinking somewhere overseas.” The numbers drawn for Saturday Gold Lotto were 12, 8, 18, 7, 41, and 1, with supplementary numbers being 16 and 32.
The winning entries for this draw speckled across Australia included one from South Australia, two from Queensland, five from New South Wales, and three from Victoria. Impressively, The Lott has now recorded 304 Division One winning entries so far this financial year, with 78 wins attributed to Golden Casket players alone. Last financial year, Saturday Gold Lotto generated 158 millionaires across Australia, with winnings surpassing $436 million through various Division One entries.
The success of lottery winners continues as excitement builds around the significant Oz Lotto jackpot of $100 million slated for Tuesday. This is the largest prize pool for Oz Lotto since 2012. According to Khat McIntyre, spokesperson for The Lott, the odds of winning the entire amount as one player are slightly over one million to one. Despite these odds, up to one-third of Australian adults are expected to participate by purchasing tickets before the sales close.
If one player wins the full sum, they would not only claim the title of Oz Lotto’s richest-ever winner, but they would also receive life-changing news filled with excitement and joy. McIntyre noted, “Reactions we often hear when breaking the life-changing news include screams of excitement, cries of joy, or bursts of laughter.”
The strong appetite for lottery participation is evident, especially with past financial successes, including 16 major winnings amounting to over $323 million within the last financial year. This included Adelaide’s significant winner who claimed the largest individual lottery prize of $150 million from Powerball last May. It marked the third-largest win ever recorded, surpassed only by higher-share lottery draws.
A fun statistic from Gambler’s Help highlights the improbability of winning the first-division Oz Lotto prize. According to their data, the chances of getting all seven numbers correct rest at less than one-in-62 million, illustrating the rarity of individuals hitting the jackpot. For comparison, the likelihood of being struck by lightning is estimated at around one-in-1.2 million each year. So, the next time you’re checking those numbers, just how hopeful might you be?
The buzz surrounding the lottery remains strong, as both recent and upcoming draws continue to generate excitement among players. With each win, not only do fortunes change, but lives transform, from paying off debts to planning vacations and securing financial futures.