Almost a year after the $100 million Powerball jackpot was drawn, the mystery winner has still not come forward to claim their prize. The unregistered ticket was purchased at Bondi Junction Newsagency and Internet Cafe in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for draw 1517 in June 2025.
Winning Numbers and Historical Context
The winning numbers were 28, 10, 3, 16, 31, 14 and 21, with the Powerball number being 6. If the sole ticketholder of The Lott’s division one entry comes forward, they would officially become the country’s equal third biggest lottery winner in history.
Unprecedented Situation
While tickets have gone unclaimed in the past, a Lott spokesman told Daily Mail this situation was unprecedented. 'We are certainly entering uncharted territory as we haven’t had a prize of this magnitude go unclaimed for this long,' he said. He noted that tickets are often misplaced, with previous winners finding theirs in drawers, on the fridge or forgotten in wallets. 'We’ve had some winners discover their good fortune months and even years after the winning numbers were drawn,' he added. 'They often tell us that their winning ticket was hiding in plain sight the whole time and just waiting to be checked.'
Claim Process and Security
All available evidence about the win has been gathered, but CCTV footage will only be used to confirm a claimant once they present themselves. Players in New South Wales have six years to claim their winnings. If the holder remains unidentified after that period, the money will be redistributed to prize pools and community projects. Registered winners can collect their prize without their physical ticket, but those unregistered without their tickets have to complete The Lott's lost or damaged ticket search form. The form asks for details of the purchase date and time, which are not disclosed to the public and would only be known to the ticketholder. If the lost ticket is found by another person, they could claim it because it is 'treated like cash'. If a tourist wins but is overseas, they must return to the country to claim their jackpot.
Hope Remains
While it may seem that the ticket will never be claimed, not all hope is lost. It took a Mount Hutton woman 20 months to claim her $1 million prize in 2023. That ticket was also unregistered; the winner told The Lott she had kept it for months, never realising she was a millionaire. The spokesman said there was still hope this mystery would be solved. 'Keep an eye out for any lottery tickets lying around the home, car or office and any nook and cranny where you may put your lottery tickets,' he said. 'This is also a great reminder to register your tickets to The Lott Members Club because if this player had registered their ticket, they would be enjoying their prize already. By registering your in-store or online lottery entry to The Lott Members Club, not only are we able to contact you straight after the draw if you win big, but your prize is secure.'
