One Perth grandfather has finally earned the title of WA’s newest millionaire after two weeks of believing his jackpot win was just a phone glitch.
The 80-year-old man, who hails from Perth’s northern suburbs, was one of five lucky winners to claim a $2 million portion of a massive Saturday lottery jackpot in May.
His lucky ticket — the only winner in Western Australia — was bought online through the Lotterywest app.
Although the punter routinely purchases lottery tickets through the app, he revealed his distrust of technology meant he did not believe he had actually won the multimillion-dollar jackpot.
“When I checked the Saturday Lotto result and saw that I was a winner, I didn’t quite believe it,” he said.
“I have won small amounts, and it always says how much you won, but this time, all it said was ‘winner’ and no amount.
“I thought it must have been a glitch.”
The lucky Sandgroper recruited his daughter to help verify his jackpot win, but even she initially believed her father was just “having a senior moment”.
“We could see that one of the last lines on the Slikpik was all filled in . . . it just doesn’t feel as real as when you mark them off yourself,” she said.
After two weeks of doubt and distrust, the northern suburbs man visited the revered Lotterywest Winner’s Room and claimed his mammoth jackpot — proving that the win was more than just a glitch.
“It was when I had that cheque in my hands that I knew it was true,” the grandfather said.
While picking up his newfound fortune, the Perth octogarian shared his simple plans for his windfall — revealing he intends to share the fortune with his family.
“I will be giving half to my children and the rest will be to make my wife and I more comfortable in retirement,” he said.
The grandfather has joined the ranks of 36 other West Australian punters who have nabbed a Division One lottery win so far in 2026.
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