Australian Retiree Mistakes $2 Million Lottery Win for $2,000

An Australian retiree from Drysdale, Victoria, got the shock of his life when he discovered that his lottery ticket was worth far more than he initially believed. The lucky winner held one of three division one winning entries in the TattsLotto draw 4649 on Saturday, February 7, 2026.

Each division one entry was worth AU$2,007,450.30, approximately $1.4 million USD. But when an official called to deliver the good news, the winner thought they said $2,000, not $2 million.

The retiree had checked the winning numbers in the newspaper and noticed he matched most of them. He retrieved his ticket and confirmed the match, but the magnitude of the prize hadn't sunk in until the phone call. Laughing, he asked the official to repeat the amount.

The winning System 7 entry was purchased from Drysdale Lotto at the Drysdale Village Shopping Centre. The winner revealed that he had been playing TattsLotto regularly for the past five years, ever since his son-in-law and daughter began operating a newsagency.

In an amusing twist, the newly minted millionaire noted that his son-in-law had repeatedly urged him to change his marked numbers, insisting they were no good. The winning result proved otherwise.

The overwhelmed winner said he planned to share the news with his wife immediately but admitted the couple had not yet made any plans for their newfound fortune. Two other division one winning entries from the same draw were sold in New South Wales and Western Australia.