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Powerball win: Department of Education workers share in $55m

Cameron Atfield

The Queensland Department of Education could be on the lookout for new staff soon after 21 members of a 35-strong departmental team shared in a $55 million Powerball jackpot.

Fairfax Media understands some of the winners only found out about the win when they arrived for work at Education House, on Mary Street, on Friday morning.

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Queenslander wins $55 million

A lucky Queenslander has scooped the entire $55 million in Powerball on Thursday night.

Each member of the Powerball syndicate, ranging in age from 23 to 60, will pocket $2.62 million.

In comments provided by Tatts Group, the syndicate leader said the group was prompted to set up the syndicate by the size of the jackpot.

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"We were talking in the office yesterday about what we would do if we won and now it has happened," she said.

"I just can't believe it.

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"Yesterday, while we were talking about what we would do if we won, one of the syndicate members very boldly said that we were going to win and now we have.

"I don't know what to say. I'm so shocked; it all seems so unreal.

"Wow, now I'll be able to buy a house and get my teeth fixed. I'll be able to afford braces."

The syndicate leader said the win would mean something different to all of them.

"For some they may retire, others will clear debts and pay off mortgages and others have told me they will help their family," she said.

"I'm sure there will be a few holidays as well."

All the winners wanted to remain anonymous. Not so Cindy Lynch, the manager of Casino News on George Street, which sold the winning ticket.

Ms Lynch said she had "goosebumps" over the win.

"I wish it was me but this is still so exciting," she said.

"This is the third division one entry our store has sold but this is by far the biggest."

The entry was not registered to a Winner's Circle card, so the identity of the winners had been unknown.

Tatts Group spokeswoman Elissa Lewis said the $55 million was the second-largest single ticket win in Powerball History.

"It's great to discover the entry was shared between work mates, because today Queensland has 21 new multi-millionaires," she said.

"The elation and disbelief of the newest Powerball winners is contagious and today is a day they will never forget."

Ms Lewis said the standing record for the largest Powerball win claimed by a single entry in Australia was set in January 2016, when one ticket purchased in Hervey Bay won $70 million in Powerball draw 1025.

"While there was only one division one winning entry in (Thursday night's) $55 million Powerball jackpot it was the biggest jackpot on offer to date this year and millions of customers around the country purchased an entry for the chance to win a share in the whopping prize pool," she said.

"It is also the fourth largest Powerball jackpot in Australia's history, with the current record standing at $80 million which was set in July 2009."

Bond University professor of data science Steven Stern says the odds of picking the winning Powerball numbers are about 77,000,000 to 1.

The odds of being the only one to pick the correct numbers on a jackpot week are even longer.

The winning numbers drawn on Thursday night were 36, 8, 23, 39, 31 and 6 and the Powerball was number 15.

CORRECTION: A previous version of this article incorrectly reported the workers were based at 1 William Street.

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