It’s the phone call every Australian is desperate to receive — hearing an official from The Lott tell you that you’ve won $200 million in Powerball drawl 1446.
But what are the exact words you’ll hear when you receive that call, just minutes after the winning Powerball numbers have been announced?
James Eddy is one of two people who have the amazing job of telling Australians that they’re a major lottery winner.
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In an interview with 7NEWS.com.au, Eddy says he has informed about five Australians that they’ve won $20 million or more in the two years he’s worked at The Lott.
And he says that making the call “never gets old”.
“It’s one of those things where you’re able to share in the excitement and celebration and almost vicariously live through what that winner is feeling at the time,” he said.
“So it’s always wonderful, especially if they don’t know they’ve won. To be able to give them that news and just to hear the shock and disbelief from their voice.
“And even if they do know, to be able to be the person that gives them that confirmation that yes, it is real — and yes, you have changed your life overnight with one of these Australian lottery games.”
He went on to say that he follows the same script when he informs winners of their huge win, sharing the exact word he says.
“I’m going to say ‘Hello, am I speaking with (their name)?’ And they say ‘yes’. I say, ‘Look, my name is James from The Lott public relations team to give you a call with regards to Powerball draw number 1446, you have an entry into that draw,’” he reveals.
“We then need to go through a few verification steps. And then at the end of that, if it’s a little taste tester for Thursday night, I’m able to say ‘Well, congratulations. It’s my pleasure to be able to tell you that in this draw you are one of our division one winners and you’ve won $200 million.’ And you just pause!
“Sometimes you get screams — there’s quite a number of winners that just sit there and their first response is ‘Oh my god, I can’t believe this has happened to me!
“Because the main sentiment is always that you would love to win, but you never expected it. And that’s the most beautiful thing about it — that at the end of the day, it’s a game of chance and everyone who’s got an entry is in with a chance to win it.
“And then you do win it, then I think it’s just pure shock. So there have been screams, there have been tears, there has been cheering and yelling at the people in the room with them or their family.
“And there’s also been people who have just gone absolutely mute and struggled to find the words!”
But there’s one winner’s reaction that has always stuck with him.
“One of the three winners of the $160 million Powerball draw in October of 2022 was a man from Victoria,” he says.
“And when I called him he was working and he immediately started to get very emotional and tear up and talked about what it would mean for his family.
“He said, ‘Right, well I’m going to finish up what I’m doing at work and I won’t be back.’ And that was the end of that.
“So an immediate retirement for him and when I spoke to him again after that a few months later, he’d been able to look after his family and everything else.
“But I think just the pure emotion in his voice when I spoke to him was what really stuck with me.”
He said about half of the winners he speaks to have no idea they’ve won the major jackpot prize.
“It’s almost a 50/50 percentage, whether they’re playing online, on the app or buying an entry,” Eddy says.
“There’s also the case as well, where people either have registered or unregistered entries. If it’s unregistered, then they’re going to find out prior to us or close to it.
“If it’s a registered entry, then we’re able to give them a call quite quickly after the game’s drawn and let them know the good news.”
What happens if you win division one?
- A representative from The Lott will call you immediately with the good news using the contact number listed in your account.
- The Lott will send a letter to confirm your division one Powerball win — as well as some “congratulatory goodies” to celebrate your win.
- The Lott says you’ll then have to wait two weeks to receive your winnings. “You’ll have a two-week provisional period to plan what you’re going to do with your life-changing prize,” The Lott says.
- The prize will then be paid into your online account so you can then withdraw the millions to a bank account of your choice.
If you’re concerned about your gambling or the gambling of a friend or family member, log on to Gambling Help Online or make contact via phone on 1800 858 858.
You can access online counselling as well as services in your state or territory and support for family and friends.