A lucky punter who purchased a Powerball ticket worth $100 million has yet to come forward to claim the prize more than a year after the draw.
Little is known about the winner of Powerball draw 1517, which took place on June 12, 2025, except that they bought the sole division one winning ticket from Bondi Junction Newsagency and Internet Cafe in Sydney’s eastern suburbs earlier that month.
Staff and the owner were informed hours after the draw that their outlet had sold the winning ticket, and they eagerly awaited the arrival of Australia’s newest multi-millionaire.
“We were over the moon, we put up balloons,” staff member Grace Martino told 7NEWS.com.au.
Although she has sold lottery tickets for decades, Martino said she was particularly excited because she never thought she would see a winning ticket worth millions.
However, the celebratory balloons deflated over the following days, which turned into weeks, months, and now more than a year without the prize being claimed.
The only item left commemorating the win is a small plaque given to the news agency by The Lott, hung high up behind the counter.
Martino said even she and the store owner know little about who bought the ticket.
“We don’t know when we sold the ticket ... We have no information whatsoever,” she said.
“It’s a $100 million secret.”
After such a long period and the assumption that the ticket may have been lost, The Lott is keeping its cards close to its chest to try to protect the winner’s identity.
This approach allows potential winners to fill out a form requesting information that only the true winner would know, such as the type of ticket purchased and the date of purchase.
“We know it’s a Powerball winner, maybe the person doesn’t understand the game or didn’t check the ticket properly,” Martino said.
“We know it was an unregistered ticket, which is a sad thought, because if that ticket was registered it is protected all the way to the bank, even if you lose the ticket.”
The Lott will hold onto the massive prize for six years, after which it will be forfeited to the state’s revenue office.
