Morley has been revealed as the luckiest hotspot in WA last year as Australia’s second biggest jackpot of $60 million is up for grabs this week

Albany Lotto winners reflect on win that changed their lives

Greig JohnstonPerthNow

What’s a sure-fire way to make a dream holiday in Thailand drag on a bit? Tell someone they’ve won Lotto back home.

For years Albany couple Chris and Margaret Higgins went halves on a Saturday Lotto ticket with Chris’s sister and her husband, promising to split the winnings.

Chris and Margaret were in Phuket in 2011 to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary when Chris’s niece made a frantic phone call to tell them they were millionaires.

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Chris and Margaret Higgins on holiday in 2016.
Camera IconChris and Margaret Higgins on holiday in 2016. Credit: Supplied

Their Lotto ticket, bought from the Dog Rock Newspower kiosk, was worth $2.17 million.

While they should have been having the time of their lives, all Chris and Margaret could think about was getting home.

“We were sharing Lotto with my sister who’s unfortunately since passed away,” Mr Higgins said.

“Her daughter rung us up to tell us. I didn’t believe her.

“We went down to the lobby and checked on the computers and sure enough, I knew the numbers off by heart.

Chris and Margaret won Saturday Lotto in 2011.
Camera IconChris and Margaret won Saturday Lotto in 2011. Credit: Lotterywest

“It just sort of hit us like a brick wall.

“We were only four days into a 10-day holiday, being a special occasion, and I tell you what — every day felt like 100 days because we just wanted to get back.

“The only thing I said to my sister was ‘grab the ticket from my house and stick it under your pillow and don’t go anywhere’.”

Mr Higgins, a Liverpudlian who settled in Albany in 1979, said the win didn’t spoil the holiday — but there were long moments of sitting in their hotel room in disbelief.

Golf is in, work is out.
Camera IconGolf is in, work is out. Credit: Pixabay.

“I actually did go out on the balcony and scream out that we’d won Lotto at one stage,” the 69-year-old said.

“That was about my only bit of excitement.”

And Mr Higgins laughed when he recalled how close the big win came to not happening at all.

“About a month before we won, my brother-in-law, who’s also unfortunately passed away, said ‘I’m fed up not winning anything with these numbers, I’m gonna change them’.

“We had a democratic vote and he got voted down. The numbers came up about a month later.”

After splitting the winnings with his sister and helping out other family members, the money helped Chris and Margaret become financially free.

It enabled Mr Higgins, a carpet layer who moved into carpet retailing, to retire early.

He was almost 60 when he took out the jackpot, and said new cars for him and his wife were his only extravagance.

Mr Higgins bought a Holden Commodore, in Everton blue, and a Mazda 3 for Margaret.

The 2011 Holden Commodore, in Everton blue.
Camera IconThe 2011 Holden Commodore, in Everton blue. Credit: Justcars.com.au

Since retiring, Mr Higgins has had both his knees replaced and now plays golf twice a week.

“I really was ready to retire,” he said.

“It’s pretty stressful working in retail and after doing a physical job for so long, I was ready to retire.

“We went on holidays and we’ve continued to do that over the years, until this year,” he said.

“Because of the age we won it, we’d probably done all the hard battles early on in life.

“We’ve just basically enjoyed life, being thankful for having this lucky opportunity to do it.

“I just enjoy every day that I’m here.”

Chris and Margaret still play Saturday Lotto, and will have a ticket in this Saturday’s $20 million Superdraw.

“Even though we do the Lotto every week, it’s really to us just to give a little bit back that we were so lucky to get,” Mr Higgins said.

Saturday Lotto’s $20 million Superdraw

So far this year, WA has produced 62 division one Lotto winners who have shared in nearly $76 million in prizes.

Tickets are available until 6pm the day of the draw from Lotterywest in-store, online or via the app.

Superdraws see Saturday Lotto’s estimated $5 million division one prize pool bump up to an incredible $20 million on offer.

WA’s Lotto hotspots for this year are as follows:

Morley – produced four division one Lotto wins

High Wycombe - produced two division one Lotto wins

Hillarys – produced two division one Lotto wins

Secret Harbour – produced two division one Lotto wins

WA’s most popular Lotterywest stores are:

Carramar Lottery Centre and News in Morley – produced two division one wins

High Wycombe News and Lotteries – produced two division one wins

The Lucky Charm Secret Harbour – produced two division one wins

This Saturday’s draw will see close to 700,000 tickets purchased in WA.