Rockingham: family didn’t know they’d won Lotto

A ROCKINGHAM family did not know they had won $785,673 in Lotto and it took them two months to claim their prize.

Back on December 12 last year, one Saturday Lotto player won the only Division 1 prize in WA for the draw.

They only came forward to claim their $785,673 prize until today.

The family had no idea they had won anything on their ticket purchased from Charthouse News in Waikiki. In fact, because they didn’t think the ticket was a winner they placed it inside a store’s second chance draw barrel.

Fortunately, for the family their Lotto ticket was registered using the Player’s Registration Service, meaning Lotterywest was able to eventually get in contact with them to tell them their wonderful news.

“We couldn’t be more excited,” a family member said.

“This has absolutely set us up for the rest of our lives.”

The winners had been going through some tough times financially and health wise but said that their win has turned things around for them.

“2016 is our year! It’s just incredible what we’ve won,” the family member said.

The winners knew straight away what they would like to do with their prize money. Buying their own home so they no longer had to rent, investing in their future and fixing their car were all dreams that can now come true.

It’s not only WA’s Lotto winners who benefit following a draw, the local community benefits too with $283 million going back to support the WA community last financial year.

The Rockingham Woodworkers Club received the benefits of those who play Lotterywest Games with a $4352 Lotterywest Grant last year. These funds were used towards woodworking equipment for the benefit of seniors and the wider community of Rockingham.