Player From Guateng Wins R38 Million Lotto Prize
A ticket holder from Guateng has won just under R38 million in the midweek Lotto draw, bringing him some long-awaited luck after years of buying lottery tickets.
The anonymous winner hit the jackpot in the Wednesday 29 July Lotto draw and contacted lottery operator Ithuba shortly afterwards to claim his winnings.
The identity of the winner has not been disclosed but it has been revealed that he is a self-employed entrepreneur from Guateng. He spent R20 on a Lotto ticket and ended up winning a jackpot worth R37,951,526 when he matched the numbers 6, 16, 23, 26, 33, and 48 in the 29 July draw.
Speaking after he claimed the prize money, the lucky winner said he has been playing the lottery since he was 19 years old. “I have always been hopeful that one day I will strike it lucky,” he said, “but this life-changing win has come as a big shock and surprise to me.”
The winner also described how he almost played a completely different set of numbers to those that landed him the jackpot. “I have been playing the same numbers for the past four years,” he said. “I wanted to play the Quick Pick selection because I thought I have been playing the same numbers for years and the maximum amount I have won was R1,200.
“So I thought maybe it's time I changed my playing strategy. I asked the cashier for a Quick Pick selection, but before I gave her the money, my gut told me that today might be the day I strike it lucky and opted to play the same numbers manually.”
The decision to follow his instincts paid off, as his regular numbers are those that won him the R38 million prize. “As I was checking the numbers, I realised that these are some of the numbers I usually play. It was only after the fifth number that my heart began racing and I realised I might be the jackpot winner.
“Since finding out that I won the jackpot, I have not been able to sleep. I have mixed emotions. At some point I am calm, the next I am nervous, I have had a roller coaster of emotions for the last couple of days. I slept with the ticket under my pillow for two nights and kept on waking up every hour to check if indeed I'm the holder of the lucky jackpot-winning ticket and not dreaming.”
He went on to say that he planned to invest in his business and purchase a house in one of Guateng’s exclusive housing estates, but would wait until next year in order to avoid attracting unwanted attention. He also plans to erect a new tombstone for his late father and ensure that his mother is able to live comfortably.
This Lotto jackpot is the second-biggest of 2020 so far, after a R58 million prize on 14 March went to a player who purchased their entry through FNB’s online banking channel.
Busisiwe Msizi, head of corporate relations at Ithuba, said: “We are so excited to have created yet another instant millionaire in a space of four months. Our first major 2020 winner won a massive R135 million PowerBall jackpot in April 2020. We promised to offer big jackpots and we are happy that we have been able to offer these big amounts to our players.”
The Lotto jackpot is already back to an estimated R9 million for the next draw on Saturday. You can take your chance to become the next Lotto millionaire by purchasing an entry online or from any lottery retailer.
Published: Friday 7th August 2020Latest Lottery News News Archive