Western Australia’s lucky Lotto streak has returned with two locals each winning $500,809 in Saturday night’s Lotto draw.
There were eight winners across Australia with WA’s Division 1 winning tickets sold at Herdsman Lottery Centre and News in Churchlands and Lakelands News in Yangebup.
It’s exciting times for both stores as these tickets are the first Division 1 winners they’ve sold since recently taking ownership.
“I’ve only had the store for six weeks so we were beyond excited at selling our first big winner so soon. I’m thinking of changing my name to ‘Lucky Ali’ now!” said owner of Herdsman Lottery Centre, Ali Sultan.
“I kept wishing for this to happen as I was selling Lotto tickets. I told customers that if they won, I won too because it’s such a great feeling to know you’ve just turned someone into a Lotto winner.”
The owner of Lakelands News in Yangebup, Veeken Zhang, said he also didn’t expect to sell a Division 1 winner so quickly after owning the store for just over a year.
“It’s certainly sudden and very exciting! We’re hoping the winner might be someone who has supported our journey throughout the past year,” said Veeken.
WA’s Division 1 winners tally for the year has now reached 65 with the winners sharing in almost $109 million in prize money.
When you play Lotterywest games, everyone in WA wins with about a third of the money spent on tickets directed to support the WA community.
Local groups to receive this support include the Town of Cambridge which received a $307,040 Lotterywest grant in May. These funds were used towards the redevelopment of the Perry Lakes Skate Park which will provide positive opportunities for young people to participate in recreational activities.
Recognising responsible gambling
This week (17 to 23 October) is Responsible Gambling Awareness Week which promotes responsible gambling practises across Australia.
In Western Australia, the theme is 'Gamble Aware - When does the fun stop for you?' and emphasises that when it comes to gambling, balance and control is the key to making sure it remains an enjoyable pastime, not a problem.
Lotterywest encourages all players to play responsibly and to seek assistance from support services if they feel they're experiencing difficulty.
Support services are available through Centrecare's gambling help counselling services, by calling the Problem Gambling Helpline on 1800 858 858 or visiting gamblinghelponline.org.au or gambleaware.com.au
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Media Enquiries Pina Compagnone: 9340 5227/ 0438 996 884
17 October 2016