Melbourne's CBD and the Far North Queensland suburb of Earlville have emerged as Australia's luckiest lottery postcodes, with each location selling four Division One-winning tickets over the past financial year — more than any other postcode in the country. The findings come from fresh data released ahead of tonight's $40 million Powerball draw.
Nearly $1.5 billion in Division One prizes won across Australia
According to the latest figures, 492 Division One entries shared almost $1.5 billion in prize money during the last financial year, minting hundreds of new millionaires nationwide. The scale of the windfall underscores just how active Australian lottery participation remains, with major jackpots regularly reshaping household fortunes overnight.
Beyond Melbourne's CBD and Earlville, other areas that recorded multiple Division One wins during the same period included Sydney and Alice Springs — a spread that stretches from the nation's largest city to the heart of the outback.
Victoria leads the nation, but NSW took the biggest prize pool
Victoria claimed the highest number of Division One wins of any state, recording 138 victories — more than a quarter of the national total. That tally was followed by New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia.
The state's standout result was a single ticket sold in Altona, whose holder walked away with $80 million — the largest individual lottery win recorded anywhere in Australia during the financial year.
Despite falling behind Victoria in total wins, NSW players collectively banked the largest share of prize money, taking home $452 million — roughly $25 million more than their Victorian counterparts. The difference is attributed to the timing of major Oz Lotto and Powerball jackpots, with several of the biggest rolling draws landing in New South Wales.
No secret formula — lottery lightning can strike anywhere
A spokesperson for The Lott acknowledged that some players deliberately seek out retailers or postcodes with a strong track record of producing winners, while others take the opposite view — reasoning that a location that has already produced a big win is unlikely to do so again soon.
"It really shows that wins can land anywhere, because it's really the top and the bottom of Australia," the spokesperson said, pointing to the contrast between cosmopolitan Melbourne and regional Earlville as proof that geography is no barrier to a life-changing result.
The comments reflect a broader truth about lottery draws: outcomes are entirely random, and no purchasing strategy meaningfully improves a player's odds.
$40 million Powerball draw on tonight
For Australians inspired by the data, tonight's Powerball jackpot offers a timely opportunity. The $40 million draw closes for entries at 7.30pm AEST, giving hopeful ticket-holders a narrow window to join the nation's latest collective flutter.
With Victoria and NSW dominating the Division One tally and two suburban postcodes proving that repeat wins are far from impossible, the figures serve as a reminder that the next big lottery moment could come from virtually any corner of the country.
