Powerball $100 million lottery: Superstitious gamblers chase jackpot

Here are the unusual lucky charms superstitious Aussies are leaning on ahead of Thursday’s massive Powerball jackpot.

Australians have shared their weird and wonderful lucky charms as casual gamblers dream of pocketing Thursday’s $100 million Powerball jackpot.

From a rabbit’s foot to a cat’s whisker, one in five lottery players say they leaned on superstitions and would refuse to purchase their ticket without their favoured charm.

“While some players place their trust in more traditional lucky charms, like a four-leaf clover, a horseshoe, or a spiritual figurine, others use more unique and personal items,” The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said.

“One player said they always carried their lucky numbers scribbled on a decade-old napkin, another had collected their cat’s whiskers after they fell out, while one lady told us she always kept a piece of ginger in her handbag.

“Many admitted they’d never even think about leaving the house without their lucky charm and certainly wouldn’t buy a lottery ticket if they weren’t holding on to it.”

The record for Australia’s biggest individual lottery win was set in January this year when a Sydney woman took home $107,575,649.08.

At the time, the healthcare worker, who wished to remain anonymous, shocked many by insisting she would keep working despite her bulging bank account.

She said she planned to share her winnings with her family, give “a whole slab of money” to her favourite charity, and perhaps even “buy a caravan and travel around”.

“I’m so passionate about my job. It will drive me to do more health work for causes important to me,” she told The Lott at the time.

“I’m not quite sure what to do but of course I will be helping my family.”

And late last month, a Sydney father discovered he was more than $96 million richer after winning the country’s second-biggest individual lottery prize.

The unnamed man, from Chatswood in Sydney’s Lower North Shore, won the Lucky Lotteries Mega Jackpot draw 1447, which was drawn on August 28.

The office worker received the call from lottery officials while he was in the office and was initially stunned by the news.

“You’re sh*tting me,” he said. “I can only say holy sh*t.

“Jesus Christ! I’m at work at the moment so I wasn’t expecting this phone call.

“I’m shaking. I’m just waiting for someone to tell me I’m being punked.”

He said it was difficult to describe how he felt after receiving the news.

The $100 million Powerball draw 1217 closes at 7.30pm on Thursday.

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