Surreal Victory for Queensland Man Who Claims $1.3 Million Lottery Prize

A man from Queensland has finally stepped forward to claim his $1.3 million lottery win, more than a month after the drawing was announced.

The search for Gold Lotto winners reached a conclusion on Thursday when a resident from Gympie, located near the Sunshine Coast, described the experience as “surreal.”

This man held one of three Division 1 winning tickets from Gold Lotto Draw 4563, which took place on Saturday, April 12th.

Since no winners had come forward, officials were left waiting for the ticket holder to verify the ticket and appear in person.

“I checked my tickets at my local news agency. The young woman at the counter informed me that they couldn’t pay out the prize,” he recounted.

“That’s when it hit me—this was significant.”

“I had to take a moment to process my win. Honestly, I just couldn’t believe it.”

The winner expressed that he hadn’t mentioned his good fortune to anyone, planning instead to keep it “under wraps.”

“It really is quite surreal,” he said while officials verified his winnings.

“It took a while for everything to truly sink in.”

“My mother and two uncles were big fans of the lottery, but I don’t think they ever had much luck. I’m thrilled to bring home a Division 1 win myself.”

With his newfound wealth, he intends to purchase a new car.

The winning ticket was bought at Central Shopping Centre Nextra in Gympie. Store owner Kelly Goatham expressed excitement, noting that the news had created quite a buzz.

“When I learned we had sold a winning ticket, I was so surprised that my co-owner thought there was a snake in the shop because of my reaction!” she laughed.

“It’s amazing to know you can actually sell Division 1 winning entries.”

This is the first ticket that Justen and I have sold for a Division One win since taking over the shop.”

On April 12, 2025, the Gold Lotto draw included numbers 45, 3, 22, 17, 13, and 6, with additional numbers 29 and 31. Two other winning tickets were also claimed in Western Australia and another in Queensland.