Powerball jackpot: What happens after you’ve won the lottery?

It has finally happened. You’ve won the biggest Powerball jackpot of 2025.

So, what happens now?

With a whopping $100 million up for grabs on Thursday night, here is a snapshot of what happens when you win a division one prize in the lottery.

Staff from The Lott will be on standby to contact any registered division one winner on Thursday night, The Lott spokesperson Matt Hart said.

“So, take your mobile off silent and if you see a call from an 07 number shortly after 8.30pm, pick it up!” Hart said.

“It could be me with some great news.”

However, this is dependent on ticket holders registering their in-store or online entries with The Lott Members Club, and having their contact details up to date.

Once you’re declared the winner, what comes next?

“We’ve given you a buzz to let you know you’ve won division one,” Hart said.

“You’ve screamed, you’ve dropped a few expletives and you’re thinking of walking out of work for good.

Division one winners receive a booklet detailing the answers to frequently asked questions, alongside a giant novelty cheque and winners gift pack.

How do winners get their prize?

Whether you bought your ticket online or in-store, you’ll receive your winnings two weeks after the draw.

If your ticket is registered with The Lott, your prize will be sent straight into your online account.

If you purchased your ticket in-store, you need to return to the store and return your ticket to claim your prize.

“That’s why holding on tight to your paper ticket is a very good idea,” Hart said.

“It could be worth a lot of money.”

After returning to the store of purchase, winners must complete a prize claim form.

The prize money will then be sent to your nominated bank account.

“It’s not by a cheque in the post,” Hart said.

“You don’t need a special bank account, even if you’re about to get tens of millions dropped into it!”

Does The Lott provide financial advice?

“We strongly recommend our winners seek financial advice tailored to their circumstances so they enjoy the benefits of their prize for many years to come,” Hart said.

“However, we do not organise this for winners ourselves.

“When we’ve spoken to previous big winners, they have echoed this.

“As one said, ‘my biggest piece of advice to any big lottery winner is to run, don’t walk, to a financial adviser’.”

Do you have to pay tax on your winnings?

Unlike some other countries, Australians do not have to pay any tax on their lottery prizes.

“However, they could be taxed on earnings they make on the prize,” Hart said.

For example, you may have to pay tax on interest earned on your winnings in your bank account.

“(This) is why we always recommend financial advice,” Hart said.

Who should I tell?

This is “completely up to the winners”, Hart said.

“Some couples have told us they haven’t even shared the news with their children as they didn’t want them to grow up feeling entitled or privileged, while others happily tell their close family and friends.”

The Lott’s winners pamphlet advises successful entrants to think about what they will say before they tell anyone, and to consider whether they will share any of their prize with them.

Previous winners say they were surprised by how their relationships did not change at all.

A South Australian division one winner told friends and family because they were concerned about the impacts of keeping a secret that big.

“I thought, ‘I’m not going to keep it secret from them, I’m going to tell everyone’ because I don’t want people to say ‘why didn’t you tell me?’,” they said.

“No one asked me for a thing. Not one person. I find that really refreshing.”

How do I avoid spending it all too soon?

“Australian winners seem to be a much more pragmatic bunch than their overseas counterparts,” Hart said.

“They’ve heard the stories of the UK winners who’ve blown it all.

“For the vast majority, they want to pay off the house and make the money work for them and their families for many years to come.”

Hart has previously said winners made room to achieve dreams like attending the Monaco Grand Prix and skydiving over the Gold Coast.

As always, the Lott advises winners to consult financial advisers and professionals to help them make the most out of their prize.