A grandfather who is raising his three orphaned grandchildren has won a $1million lottery prize after picking numbers based on their dead father’s birthday.
The elderly Melbourne man took out the division one prize in Monday night’s Lotto draw and found out the news in a telephone call this morning.
‘I’m flabbergasted, just flabbergasted. It’s great news. Unbelievable. This is the best call I’ve ever received,’ the anonymous lottery winner said.
‘I never thought I would get this call.’
A grandfather who is raising his three orphaned grandchildren has won a $1million lottery prize after picking numbers based on their dead father’s birthday (stock image)
The Tatts Group, which runs the Monday and Wednesday Lotto draw, said the ‘kind-hearted guardian’ from Heidelberg planned to spend his winnings on a bigger house in Melbourne’s north-east for his grandchildren.
‘I’m the grandfather of three orphans. I really need this money for them as we need to move into a bigger home,’ the Lotto winner told them.
‘I’ve been looking at homes in a quieter suburb close by, but I knew I couldn’t afford them.’
With $1million soon to flood his bank account, the grandfather will have enough to buy a median-priced $870,000 house in Melbourne.
The elderly Melbourne man took out the division one prize on Monday night’s Lotto draw and found out the news in a telephone call this morning
In his home suburb of Heidelberg, a five-bedroom house is selling for $1.175million however homes are selling for a lot less in the neighbouring suburb of Heidelberg West.
He bought his Lotto ticket at the Banyule Newsagency in nearby Rosanna.
The only winner in the division one jacket will take home $1,005,591.10, having also won the smaller division three and division four prizes multiple times.
He revealed his family had inspired the winning numbers.
‘I chose those numbers using the birth dates of my kids, one of who is my son who passed away,’ he said.
He bought his Lotto ticket at the Banyule Newsagency in Rosanna in Melbourne’s north-east
‘I’ve never given them up, even though I’ve only ever had small wins on that ticket. ‘It’s a good day for me today.’
He said he his Lotto win, from draw 3776, meant he wouldn’t have to worry so much about his grandchildren’s financial future.
‘I don’t know why I kept looking at them but I couldn’t avoid dreaming of moving there,’ he said.
‘We can move now and I can rest. I can rest knowing they will be looked after.’