Sleepless night for Busselton couple after $50,000 scratchie surprise

A $50,000 Scratch’n’Win Top Prize has jump‑started the new year for an Australian‑Canadian couple after an ordinary night at home burst into excitement.

After purchasing the winning scratchie at Crosslands Newsagency in Bunbury, the couple in their mid-20s scratched it at home in Busselton later that evening and were stunned to have won a $50,000 Top Prize.

Still in disbelief, the pair said they jumped straight in the car to find a Lotterywest store to verify the ticket.

“We’ve recently moved back from a big city in Canada where everything is open 24/7,” one winner said.

“After driving round and round we soon realised that nothing was open and went home.

“We were so excited, we were up all night and went to our nearest store first thing the next morning to check the ticket.”

Thanks to their $50,000 Top Prize, the couple are enjoying a head start to 2026 with plans for an overseas holiday and a celebration with friends, where they’ll be happily shouting the bill.

Lotterywest spokesperson Zoe Wender said this win is the second Scratch’n’Win Top Prize to land in Bunbury so far this year.

“Alongside this couple, another Western Australian player celebrated a scratchie Top Prize of $50,000 earlier this month thanks to a ticket purchased at Newsxpress Bunbury Forum,” she said.

“There’s been plenty to celebrate in WA’s regions this year, including a Pilbara grandfather who took home a $10 million Powerball prize, and a Geraldton retiree who claimed a $1.6 million Saturday Lotto prize just last week.”

In 2025, WA scratchie players helped support hundreds of community groups across the State, with almost $50 million raised for Lotterywest’s grants program, thanks to Scratch’n’Win games.

A Lotterywest grant of $179,743 is supporting the Bunbury Dolphin Discovery Centre with equipment and resources to support volunteers to deliver marine conservation and education projects.

WA players have the chance to become a multi‑millionaire in tonight’s $20 million Powerball jackpot.

Tickets are available until 6pm tonight in-store, online or via the Lotterywest App.

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