Lottery ticket worth $1.2M spent 3 months in oblivious winner's drawer

Feb. 5 (UPI) -- An Australian man who bought a lottery ticket for a drawing in October said he didn't learn until three months later that he was a $1.2 million winner.

The Canberra man told The Lott officials he's been playing the lottery regularly for about 10 years, but often goes long periods without checking his tickets.

The man's Saturday Lotto ticket for the Oct. 24 drawing, purchased from Euro Garages Australia in Hume, was a $1.2 million top prize winner, but the ticket sat in a drawer unchecked for three months.

"It has been in a drawer at home this whole time," the winner said. "It's crazy to think that $1.6 million [U.S. $1.2 million] has been sitting in that drawer for months!"

The winner said the money will allow him to live with financial freedom.

"I am going to take care of my family and pay off the mortgage," he said. "I'll definitely keep working and think of how to invest the rest!"