Clare Player Claims €1 Million From Special Lotto Raffle

A Lotto Plus player from Co. Clare has admitted they shed ‘tears of joy’ when they discovered they had won €1 million in a special raffle.

The Irish Lottery brought the Lotto Plus Raffle to an end earlier this month as part of wider changes to Lotto and Lotto Plus, but there was one last treat for raffle fans! A ‘Lotto Plus Dispersal Raffle’ was held to give away all the money left in the Raffle’s reserve fund. It amounted to one guaranteed prize of €1 million, plus 43 additional prizes of €10,092.

Everyone who won a Lotto Plus prize on the night of 5th September was entered into a separate draw to determine who would receive these special prizes, and the player from Clare was randomly selected as the big winner.

The lucky ticket was purchased at Spar Lisdoonvarna, Lisdoonvarna, Co. Clare on the day of the draw, and the winner was initially oblivious to their success for some time.

Speaking to the Irish Lottery after finally claiming the €1 million prize this week, the winner said: "I never thought to check my ticket. I'd been driving around with it all the time without realising it was worth €1 million."

When they finally got round to checking their ticket, the winner was left in a state of shock and cried with delight as they shared the news with family and friends. “I’m looking forward to breathing and taking it all in,” said the winner.

The lucky player has no short-term plans for big changes, but they are keen to go on more holidays and finally get the house they have always wanted. “Having the chance to create my dream home is something I’m really looking forward to,” they said.

While the Lotto Plus Raffle has now been retired, the changes made to Lotto at the start of September have improved the odds of winning across all prize categories and will help to create more millionaires.

You can buy tickets from authorised retailers across Ireland, or bet online for added security, convenience and flexibility over how to take part.