A Mackay man thought his eyes were deceiving him when he scratched an Instant Scratch-Its ticket he bagged while grocery shopping and discovered he’d won a $25,000 top prize.

The top prize winning $2 Sweet Winnings Instant Scratch-Its ticket was purchased at News on Bridge, Shop A07, Parkside Plaza, 245 Bridge Road, Mackay West.

Speaking with us this afternoon, the delighted winner relayed how he discovered his top prize win.

“I was grocery shopping at Coles and decided to pick up an Instant Scratch-Its ticket from the newsagency when I was done,” he explained.

“I came home and put the groceries away, then scratched the Instant Scratch-Its ticket.

“I had to do a doubletake when I saw I’d won! I thought, ‘Oh s***!’.

“I put my glasses on because I honestly thought it was just my eyes seeing things wrong.

“Once I realised I’d won, I sat on the couch and processed it all. It’s unbelievable!

“I went down to the newsagency later, and the lady there confirmed the news for me. She said, ‘Oh my gosh! I guess I can’t pay this prize out in store’. That was a nice moment.

“I called my folks after to share the news. They were happy for me. We had a few drinks to celebrate.

“I’m going to use my prize to buy some new furniture for my house. The rest I’ll save for a rainy day.”

News on Bridge owner Satish Kumar said his entire team was ecstatic for their local winner.

“It’s fantastic news!” he said.

“We’re incredibly happy for our winner—what a fantastic win for him.

“We love selling major prizes and can’t wait to do it again.”