A mystery NSW scratchie player has won more than half a million dollars but ... hasn't claimed it yet!
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The biggest individual instant win in NSW was taken out in Tamworth this year: a whopping $520,000 scratched away by one lucky punter.
However, the ticket, which was sold at Tamworth's Memories Newsagency in the City Plaza in January, remains unclaimed.
Cath Hobson from Memories said it was most likely from a Christmas gift pack - so check urged everyone to check their cards, pressies and, she says, glove boxes.
"We would absolutely love to reunite the winner with the money," she enthused.
Since the COVID-19 lockdowns, she has seen many people coming in with wads of scratchies to check, found during spring cleaning.
But no one yet has brought in the golden ticket.
"With Father's Day coming up our gift packs are very popular - we just ask everyone to make sure they bring them back to check instead of just throwing them out, you just never know," Ms Hobson said.
The research was released by the Lott, Australia's official lotteries, ahead of Father's Day, one of its busiest times of the year.
Countrywide, the highest amount won on a scratchie this year was in Rosanna, Victoria, for an eye-watering $1,000,000.
But NSW saw the highest collective total won for the 2020 financial year.
The data found our state had 52 top wins, adding up to a total of $3.4 million in prize money.
Marrickville Metro Newsagency in NSW was the only place to sell three top prize-winning tickets.
The Lott spokesperson Ally Ramsamy said clusters of wins, or top prize postcodes, often emerged from year to year.
"While we do see these clusters from time to time, it's important to remember a top prize Instant Scratch-Its ticket could be anywhere," she explained.
"Players often tell us that they are superstitious about where and how they buy their tickets, whether they always buy from the same outlet, or always choose a particular ticket in the dispenser."