An enormous $150 million is up for grabs in Powerball draw 1445 tonight, marking second-biggest prize offered in Australia’s history.
Up to half of the country’s adults are expected to buy a ticket in the draw as Powerball fever sweeps Australia.
But what exactly happens in the first 24 hours after you win the division one prize?
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Apart from lots of planning on how you’ll spend your millions, there are several keys things that happen with lottery officials that are important to know.
If you’re a registered user, you’ll receive a phone call from The Lott “immediately” after the draw to notify you of your win.
The lottery official will then talk you through the process for claiming your prize (see options below).
If you’re not a registered user, then you will have to call 131 868 to notify The Lott of your winning entry.
The morning after your win, The Lott will send a letter to confirm your division one Powerball prize — as well as some “congratulatory goodies” to celebrate your win.
How to claim your millions
You will then be asked to claim your prize in the following ways:
1. For tickets purchased on The Lott website or app
The Lott advises that major prizes won on entries purchased via The Lott website or app are paid into your online account.
However, winners have to wait two weeks until a two-week provisional period has passed to receive the funds.
“Once deposited here, you can withdraw your prize to a bank account of your choice,” The Lott says.
2. For tickets purchased in-store
If you have won a major prize from a ticket purchased from a retail outlet, you will need to claim it in person at one of The Lott’s head offices or by post.
The head offices around Australia are:
- Golden Casket: Shop 1, 180 Ann St, Brisbane CBD, Queensland.
- NSW Lotteries: Level 29, 680 George St, Sydney, New South Wales.
- Tatts and Tatts NT: Level 21, Tower 2, 727 Collins Street, Docklands, Victoria.
- SA Lotteries: Level 9, 99 Gawler Place, Adelaide, South Australia
These head offices are open from 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday (excluding public holidays).
If you’re unable to attend one of The Lott’s head offices, you can also claim your prize by post after downloading and completing a Prize Claim Form – which can be found online or at your local retailer.
You then need to send your completed Prize Claim Form with your original winning ticket(s) to the Administration address listed at the top of the Prize Claim Form.
The Lott recommends mailing your claim by Registered Post “for added security and so you can keep track of your ticket and claim form.”