Party time. Excellent. Wayne just won the lottery!

Sometimes life flips the script when you least expect it. Wayne, winner of Deaf Lottery Draw 225, knows exactly how that feels.

A VIP member since 2019, Wayne had supported the Deaf Lottery for years, never imagining he’d be the one getting the winning call. 

“I’d actually forgotten how much it was,” he laughed. “I thought I’d maybe won a toolkit, or ten thousand dollars.” 

Instead, we had the pleasure of telling Wayne that he’d just won $800,000 – plus an extra $10,000 for his $30 ticket book! 

“I walked into the lounge room looking really pale,” he said. “My wife Maggie thought something terrible had happened.” 

He said, ‘I don’t know if it’s true, but I think I’ve just won the lottery!’” Maggie recalled. 

For the first few nights, sleep was hard to come by. 

“We couldn’t believe it was real,” Wayne said. “The last week felt like stepping into a whole new lifestyle.”

Living on a couple of acres, one of the couple’s first purchases was a UTV – a small off-road buggy that’s already making life easier around the property. 

“It’s perfect for getting around and picking things up. We’ve got friends near Cooma with acreage. While they ride motorbikes, I can ride that. It’s fun for the whole family – the grandkids will love it too,” he said. 

And while they make their UTV order, they’re both also looking forward to some long-overdue upgrades at home. 

“We’ve been able to use Harvey Norman gift cards, and we’re finally replacing our fifteen-year-old couch! I also needed a new barbecue. And our son lives with us and has a really old bed, so we bought him a new one.” 

And their plans don’t end there. 

Wayne and Maggie have started planning their next adventures, both in Australia and abroad. 

“We’re heading to Queensland in December for five days on the Gold Coast – just the two of us,” he said.  

“Then we’ll head overseas in the new year. Maybe Greece or Egypt. We’ve got a whole list and will narrow it down over Christmas.” 

At 62, Wayne still works full time as a property consultant, but the win has lifted a financial weight the couple had been carrying for years. 

“We still had a six-hundred-thousand-dollar mortgage, and I was wondering how we were going to manage it,” he said. “I was hoping we wouldn’t have to sell the property.” 

“The mix of cash and prizes just felt right. Having some of it in vouchers meant we actually enjoyed part of the win, instead of putting everything straight onto the mortgage.” 

Wayne said he first discovered the Deaf Lottery after being stopped in a shopping centre. 

“I read about it and thought it was a worthy cause. I figured if I won something, it would be a bonus. I just never thought it would be me.” 

This Christmas, Wayne and Maggie will be soaking up the sun on the Gold Coast – and when they return, they’ll come home to new furniture, new memories, and a much lighter financial load. 

From everyone at the Deaf Lottery, we wish them all the very best as they step into this next chapter. It’s always special to see the meaningful ways winners enjoy their prizes.