When a Preston woman realised she’d won a $10,000 Instant Scratch-Its top prize, she was so shocked she ran straight to her neighbours cheering and ready to celebrate.

The top prize winning $1 Boo Bucks Instant Scratch-Its ticket was purchased at North Essendon Lotto, 7 Leake Street, Essendon.

Speaking with us this afternoon, the Melbourne woman shared she had a tradition of playing Instant Scratch-Its once a week – but had never won more than a few hundred dollars until now.

“When I scratched this ticket, I couldn’t believe what I saw. My heart was pounding like crazy,” she giggled.

“I was by myself, so I rushed over to my neighbours to get her to check it for me. I would’ve looked like a crazy person, waving my ticket and cheering at her.

“It was such a lovely experience when she confirmed it for me. We were so happy.

“I called my kids, and they all said it was my turn to win.

“I genuinely enjoy scratching Instant Scratch-Its tickets. It’s a little fun activity for me. It’s the way I treat myself.

“But honestly, I always win small prizes. Rarely I don’t win anything. This win was astonishing, though.

“Any win is good, but this is fantastic.

“I haven’t drunk any wine in ages. So, I picked up a fancy bottle and had a few glasses with my neighbours to celebrate.

“There’s also this restaurant that I love. It’s right on the beach. So I thought I’d take a few people and shout them a nice meal.

“There’s a few things I want around the house. I want to get some new lamps, and maybe a suitcase for travelling. I’ll spoil my family a bit too.”

North Essendon Lotto owners Duy Thoi Phan and Salvatrice Scuto-Phan said they were over the moon for their regular customers.

“She came into the store to share the news with us, and she was so happy,” Duy shared.

“The customer is a regular, and we’ve been waiting for the day she wins a top prize.

“I can’t explain how happy we are for her. She’s always supported us, so I’m glad to have delivered a win back to her.”

“We’re so grateful we’ve had another big win,” Salvatrice added.

“It’s fantastic when we have a win in the local community.

“We can’t wait for another big win. We love making our customers’ major prize winners.”