The Belgian National Lottery has confirmed that it has successfully identified the winner of the €3.5 million (approximately R21 million) jackpot drawn on June 14 this year, after more than four and a half months of no player activity. The winning ticket was registered in the region of Waasland in eastern Flanders, but the lucky winner has remained completely anonymous until now, the agency said in a statement on Tuesday.
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On September 24, the National Lottery announced that it was searching for a lottery winner as the prize, one of the highest distributed prizes in the country in 2025, had not yet been claimed. According to rules, this amount can only be claimed until November 1, prompting the agency to start an internal process to trace the winning ticket holders.
The statement said “the efficiency of our computer systems and the experience of our employees” made it possible to identify the gamblers in time. The failure to contact the winner throughout the period raised concerns that the millionaire’s sum could be definitively lost.
Bettors who were discovered before the deadline appreciated the team’s work. “I am very grateful to the National Lottery for their efforts in finding me. Without them, I would never have received this jackpot,” he declared, according to local media. He also said he would invest the money in real estate and vacation travel.
To protect the privacy of the new billionaire, there will be no public ceremony at the point of sale where tickets are registered. The National Lottery stressed that it would not disclose any additional personally identifying information and stressed the importance of players checking their ballots, as there are strict deadlines for claiming prizes.