Adrian Portelli has gifted the winner of his lottery for a multi-million dollar mansion a cash prize after she wasn’t allowed to claim the win.
The prize went to a South Australian woman named Donna, who was allowed to enter the draw, but didn’t realise players from her state couldn’t win major prizes due to local laws.
Donna was excited to win the $3.5million renovated mansion, which featured on The Block, when Portelli broke the news that he would have to redraw because of her state’s restrictions.
However, the billionaire did offer her a $100,000 cash gift.
‘I just wanted to call you right, because yes, we can’t give you the prize, but I just wanted to personally myself give you $100,000,’ he said.
‘Its a gift from me to you.’
Adrian Portelli (pictured) has gifted the winner of his lottery for a multi-million dollar mansion a cash prize after she wasn’t allowed to claim the win
The $3.5million renovated mansion on Phillip Island, Victoria, which featured on The Block, was purchased by Portelli during the show’s 2024 auction before being offered as a prize in an LCMT+ lottery earlier this month.
Portelli, widely known as ‘Lambo Guy’ for his love of luxury sports cars, shared a video explaining why the mansion couldn’t go to the winner, Donna.
She had purchased a ‘bronze package’ through LCMT+ which features discounts at multiple retailers as well as entries into the draw.
‘Donna sorry to say, you’re not eligible,’ Portelli said.
The billionaire confirmed he had spoken to Donna before telling his followers, adding that the news had left her ‘devastated’.
‘Donna won first prize, which was Maddie and Charlotte’s house. She is not eligible to win the prize, so the prize will be redrawn,’ he said.
‘It’s absolute nonsense that she cannot win a prize.
‘We must abide by these rules, and we have to redraw the prize.’
The prize went to a South Australian woman named Donna, who was allowed to enter the draw, but didn’t realise players from her state couldn’t win major prizes due to local laws
Portelli pointed the blame squarely at South Australia’s gambling laws.
‘Because of this issue with the South Australian government, that has been going on for roughly a year now, we decided until we come up with a solution, to run a $1000 daily giveaway for South Australians,’ he said.
‘We draw out a South Australian and we give them $1000, which we have been doing every single day.’
Earlier this year, Portelli appeared in a South Australian court accused of running an unlicensed lottery.
His company is compliant with the gaming rules in the rest of Australia, but the paperwork had lapsed in SA after ‘miscommunication’ with the regulator, which he attributed to ‘someone getting up on the wrong side of bed’.
