By Amelia Swan
A call out of the blue was how a quarter of Australian lottery winners discovered the life-changing news in 2024, according to The Lott鈥檚 Annual Winners Report.
There were 441 division one winning entries across Australia, collectively dishing out more than $1.56bn in prize money.
The findings come as the search for the elusive mystery winner of the $100m Powerball jackpot stretches into its third week, with officials still hoping to track down the holder of the winning ticket purchased in Bondi.
The ticket was unregistered, meaning the winner has not been able to be contacted directly.
Of those who have claimed their new fortunes, another 24 per cent made the happy discovery by checking their tickets online.
鈥淚 let out a number of swear words and then spent most the night checking my numbers,鈥 one winner said.
鈥(I) yelled out, 鈥榊ou beauty!鈥 and scared the dog with my excitement,鈥 another said.
While most winners agreed the experience was 鈥渓ife-changing鈥, the most common ways they enjoyed their prize varied from investing to using it to help their family and friends or buying a car.
鈥淚 was emotional because of what it meant for my family,鈥 one winner said.
鈥淚 felt a great sigh of relief that so much pressure to provide for my family had been lifted, and our future felt far more secure.鈥
Others opted to use their winnings in delightfully unexpected ways, with one winner heading all the way to Istanbul for a confidence-boosting hair transplant.
One splurged on a pair of handcrafted leather dress shoes, while another tapped into some classic car nostalgia by picking up a vintage 1936 Oldsmobile.
Another marked the occasion by gifting luxury watches to close relatives, and another jetted off to Las Vegas to attend a mate鈥檚 Elvis-themed wedding.
Seventeen per cent donated to charities close to their hearts, and on average, six other people benefited directly from each winner鈥檚 prize.
The Lott鈥檚 report also asked past winners what advice they鈥檇 give to future recipients.
鈥淚t鈥檚 very easy to go crazy early on, but my advice would be to calm down and carefully think about your future plans,鈥 one winner said.
鈥淭reat your win as an opportunity to improve your circumstances, so don鈥檛 waste it.鈥
The other bit of advice was to keep the win quiet, and keep track of who you told.
The Lott spokesperson Anna Hobdell said the emotional reactions are often intense and immediate.
鈥淲inners often tell us their bodies go into overdrive the moment they hear the life-changing news, with hearts racing, hands trembling, and even a wave of nausea setting in,鈥 she said.
鈥淏ut once the news sinks in, most winners can鈥檛 wait to share the joy with people in the know.
鈥淥nly about eight per cent keep it completely under wraps and tell absolutely no one.
鈥淔or many, the best part of winning is being able to give back, whether it鈥檚 helping their kids buy their first home, shouting a holiday for their friends, or even strangers who could use a helping hand.鈥