FIFO worker comes forward to claim first boosted Set for Life prize in WA

After weeks away on a FIFO swing, a Perth man has come forward to claim WA's first Set for Life top prize since the introduction of a $200,000 upfront payment, revealing he didn't know he had won for weeks.

The 60-year-old rigger had no idea he was holding the winning ticket from the 3 October draw.

“I did hear on the radio that a ticket from Melville had won and wondered for a moment if it was me but put it out of my mind until I got back to Perth,” the FIFO worker said.

“I went back to Melville Newspower to check the ticket and when the staff member said to come to the back of the store I thought ‘Am I in trouble?’.”

Rather than trouble he has now come into $5 million, paid out as a $200,000 upfront payment, then $20,000 a month for the next 20 years.

“I just cried happy tears when they told me, I couldn’t believe it was true!” he said.

After more than three decades working FIFO, the 60-year-old rigger plans to use his $200,000 upfront payment to buy a home near the water and fulfil a long-held dream of caravanning around Australia.

Having spent years travelling for work, he said he was looking forward to having the time to fully appreciate the country's most scenic destinations.

He intends to continue working and seek financial advice, adding that Set for Life's ongoing payments were what attracted him to the game.

“Players told us they loved the idea of a prize paid overtime but also wanted the flexibility of an upfront payment to help make their dreams happen sooner, whether that's travelling, buying a home or tackling a renovation,” said Lotterywest spokesperson Nikki Wilson-Smith.

It is thanks to Lotterywest players that Lotterywest can support seniors' organisations across the State, particularly during Seniors Week (8 to 15 November), which celebrates the theme 'Celebrating Older Western Australians'.

“Seniors Week is an opportunity to celebrate the contributions older Western Australians make to our communities, and thanks to Lotterywest players, we are proud to provide a $70,000 grant to Advocare to support the WA Seniors Awards and community-led Seniors Week events across the State,” said Ms Wilson-Smith.

Lotterywest is also supporting seniors to stay connected and engaged, with a $60,000 grant to Switched on Seniors to develop a pilot program that builds digital skills among culturally and linguistically diverse seniors.

Set for Life tickets are available in-store, online or on the Lotterywest App until 7pm every day.


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