Powerball jackpots to an unprecedented $150MILLION – as your best chance of taking home the life-changing prize is revealed
- The biggest prize in Australian history lottery is up for grabs and it must be won
- Powerball has skyrocketed to a record-breaking $150million on Thursday night
- Data shows some punters in Melbourne have a good chance of winning top prize
The biggest prize in Australian lottery history is up for grabs after nine weeks without a winner.
Many have been scrambling to get their hands on the golden ticket in the hopes of taking home the $150million prize on Thursday night.
However, data shows some areas have a better chance at snagging the top prize than others.
Many have been scrambling to get their hands on the golden ticket in the hopes of taking home $150million on Thursday night
Buying a ticket in suburbs in Melbourne’s north seems to give punters the best chance at taking home the big prize.
Data shows the most division one winning tickets have come from northern Melbourne, with 20 winners coming from that area.
Suburbs in Melbourne’s west have had 19 division one wins, while Melbourne’s east and southeast have both had 15 wins in the past year.
Victoria topped the list with the most division one wins in the 2018/2019 financial year.
Followed by New South Wales and the ACT.
Players contemplating what they would do with their Powerball prize could draw inspiration from previous Aussie division one winners.
From a spur-of-the-moment trip to Bali to a quiet family barbecue, spokeswoman Ally Ramsamy said Australian division one winners celebrated their wins in all sorts of ways.
‘The first thing the majority of our winners do is buy a new house debt-free or pay off the mortgage. They just can’t wait get that weight off their shoulders.
‘After that, investing for the future, helping family and friends, and upgrading the car are at the top of their lists.
‘Some more unusual purchases included an engagement ring and artwork as an investment. ‘
However, a rule change last year has made Powerball harder to win.
Ticket-buyers must now choose seven winning numbers drawn from 35 in the main barrel instead of six numbers from 40.
This makes it harder to win the division one prize – almost halving the chances the jackpot will go off from about one in 76.7 million to one in 134.5 million.
Buying a ticket in suburbs in Melbourne’s north seems to give punters the best chance at taking home the big prize
The change in format has attracted criticism from some punters who prefer better odds for smaller prizes.
The odds of winning are incredibly slim, with one in two Australian adults picking up a ticket for this weeks draw.
Chances of winning division one off a single-game entry are about one in 134.million.
However, a standard 12 game entry gives you a better shot with one in 11.2 million chance of cashing in on the top prize alone.
The Lott spokeswoman Bronwyn Spencer told the Herald Sun that while there is no way to predict where the wins will land, northern Melbourne suburbs have had a bumper year.
‘Lottery games are random games of chance and therefore there is no way to predict where the wins will land but from time to time we do see clusters of wins in different regions.
‘It will be interesting to see if the trend continues and the northern suburbs of Melbourne continue to deliver division one wins.’
Ms Spencer is the woman behind the life-changing phone calls and whoever wins on Thursday night can expect a call from her around 9pm.
‘If one person takes home the entire division one prize for Powerball this week, it will be the largest lottery prize I have ever confirmed so it could be an incredible moment for me also.’
If gambling is causing a problem for you, Lifeline advises you seek help by calling 1800 858 858 or visit Gambling Help Online.