A family syndicate formed simply to keep generations connected over dinners and catch-ups has discovered its modest family kitty is now worth more than $2.2 million.
The Rostrevor family finally came forward to claim the massive Saturday X Lotto prize almost a month after the winning numbers were drawn.
The six family members, ranging in age from their twenties through to their eighties, held one of nine division one winning entries nationally in Saturday X Lotto draw 4697 on July 25.
Their prize totals $2,222,222.23, with each member set to receive $370,370.37.
The ticket was not registered to a player card or online account, meaning lottery officials had no way to contact the winners and were left waiting for someone to check the ticket.
When the family eventually discovered their fortune, disbelief quickly set in.
“We can’t believe it!” one family member said.
“It took us a little longer to come forward because there’s six of us. We’re a family syndicate and our ages span from our twenties right through to our eighties.”
Rather than dreaming of a multimillion-dollar jackpot when the syndicate was created, the family had a much simpler goal in mind.
“It’s funny, we only set up the syndicate with the intention to all stay connected,” the winner said.
“We’d put whatever money we won into a kitty so we could use it for dinners and catch ups. Honestly we never expected to actually win!”
The unexpected windfall is now set to make a substantial difference across several generations of the family.
“We’re all so excited. It’s especially nice to share in this moment together. It’s been great to have a giggle and chat about it all,” they said.
“For me, a house is something I’ve been working towards for a while so it’s a huge help.”
The winning entry was purchased from Rostrevor Pharmacy at Shop 1, 161 St Bernards Road, Rostrevor.
The winning numbers in Saturday X Lotto draw 4697 were 12, 43, 2, 22, 8 and 6, with supplementary numbers 28 and 13.
There were nine division one winning entries across Australia in the draw, including two from South Australia, three each from Victoria and Western Australia, and one from New South Wales.
So far in 2026, 20 division one wins have been recorded among SA Lotteries customers.
