A group of 55 women from a small, ladies-only gym in the northern Perth suburb of Beldon has won Western Australia's largest-ever division one lotto prize, sharing the $80 million Powerball jackpot drawn on Thursday night. Each member of the syndicate will receive approximately $1.45 million after purchasing a $5 share in a Slikpik 50 ticket from a newsagent in Ocean Reef.
One winner, Lorna, now nicknamed 'Lucky Lorna', told ABC Radio Perth she initially thought it was a prank when she learned of the win. She had missed the group's Christmas dinner due to another function and returned home to find missed calls from a gym member. After texting back, she was told the news and joined the celebration at a local restaurant, where she heard screaming and champagne corks popping in the background.
Gym owner and syndicate organiser Sue described the win as 'surreal', saying she felt like 'the biggest Santa Claus in the world' for buying the ticket that changed the lives of the women. She noted that the gym is a close-knit community of women from all walks of life, many of whom are 'battlers' now turned millionaires. The group plans to visit Lotterywest to see the winners' room.
The syndicate celebrated by ordering the 'finest bottle' of champagne upon confirmation of the win. Sue said Christmas this year will be 'bigger, brighter and better than ever'. The $80 million prize surpasses WA's previous record division one win of $50 million in 2015, and ties for the third-largest lottery win nationally.
