It’s that time of the year when Singaporeans queue up in anticipation of winning one of the massive jackpots of the season. This time, three lucky winners walked away with their $4.27 million prize money. The winning numbers were declared as 4, 6, 21, 25, 34, and 40, with an additional number of 48 in the chase for cracking this whopping win.
Adding to the status of online betting, Singapore Pools Account Betting Service has become the go-to venue for rolling out Group 1 and Group 2 winners. It was in 2022 that Toto Hong Bao Draw witnessed eight Group 1 winners amassing a grand jackpot of $ 19.4 million, swelling from $12 million to $16 million to accumulate to $19.4 finally.
The crackling jackpot from 2022 triggered beelines once again outside Singapore Pools outlets on Friday, February 3, 2023. It was the Singapore Pools Bencoolen branch, Sheng Moh Fruits and Provision Store in Jalan Mas Puteh, and Tampines Trading 824 that gave away the winning tickets.
The top prize in 2023 was much lesser than in 2022, with a $ 15 million difference in the sum given away as a jackpot. Still, the enthusiasm among punters remains unchanged, with people chasing the wins.
Some, like Mr. David Soh, had been waiting since the morning on Feb 3 to collect their tickets from the Singapore Pools branch in Tao Payoh Central. David expressed his happiness to have previously made money post-purchase of 4D tickets from the outlet, calling it the “lucky” outlet.
Mentioning his wish to use the expected win money, Mr. Soh, an author aged 66, said that he would use only a part of the money to travel to the United States in the following year while reserving the balance amount for donating to a cause.
While every punter in the queue had a unique reason to participate in the jackpot draw, Ms. Marchia Guinilac, a native of the Philippines, added that she wanted to procure a small farm and utilize the balance amount from the anticipated winning for charity purposes in her home town.
Places like Tao Payoh Lorong experienced great footfall around 11 am that morning, with more than 15 punters lining up at the Singapore Pools branch. Some contenders expressed their need for the jackpot win to support households, while others wanted to fund their children’s education.
A couple of punters waiting to get their tickets for Hong Bao Draw also shared their interest in the Singapore Sweep bets. The former has a relatively lower top prize but is an equally popular lottery game run by the Singapore Pools.
The overall enthusiasm was high, with a few people simply trying their luck because they felt the auspicious time brewing with the Chinese New year festivities could be life-altering for them.
Jurong, Choa Chu Kang, Hougang, and many other places witnessed the vigor of the Toto Hong Bao jackpot snaking for a win.