How a Murraylands resident won – then lost – a $3.5 million house

Billionaire Adrian Portelli and LMCT Plus have been forced into a heartbreaking backdown after giving away a home from TV show The Block to an SA resident who was ineligible to win it.

Peri Strathearn

20 Nov 2025 — 6 min read

Adrian Portelli apologises in a video from his company, LMCT Plus, after stuffing up a prize draw in which he gave away five luxury houses. Photos: LMCT Plus, Barry Plant/Domain.

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“Can you do me a favour and let your mum know she has just won a house?”

They were the seemingly life-changing words that echoed down a phone line on Saturday night as Adrian “Lambo Guy” Portelli told a Murraylands woman she was $3.5 million richer.

The Melbourne billionaire was giving away five homes on Phillip Island, Victoria which had been featured in the 2024 season of hit TV show The Block.

Mr Portelli had snapped all five of them up at auction during the season 20 finale, and the one he offered to the local woman was the best of the lot: Maddie and Charlotte Harry’s $3.5 million, season-winning stunner.

“Get f***ed,” the local woman exclaimed after being told she had won.

“You’re joking.

“I’m shaking.”

The giveaway was orchestrated through the company which has catapulted Mr Portelli to extraordinary wealth in short order: LMCT Plus, a member-based scheme which offers discounts at a variety of retailers and – more crucially – entries into regular giveaways.

Prizes routinely include cash or sports cars, but Saturday’s was the grand daddy of them all, with $15 million worth of real estate up for grabs.

There was just one catch.

The competition’s terms and conditions prohibited South Australian residents from winning.

Legal questions overshadow a glitzy prize draw

Flamethrowers erupted and searchlights swung across the sky as the local winner’s name was chosen in an apparently random draw, live-streamed from Phillip Island to tens of thousands of viewers on the LMCT Plus Facebook page.

Mr Portelli punched her number into his personal mobile and gave her a call right away.

After answering, the unknowing woman said she was “down the river” at the Murray Bridge Christmas pageant.

“What river are you on, the Murray River?” asked one of Mr Portelli’s co-hosts.

“Where are you, like, near Mildura or something?” Mr Portelli asked.

They shrugged as she answered “Murray Bridge”, and neither side mentioned that Murray Bridge was in South Australia.

Do you know more about this story? Email peri@murraybridge.news.

LMCT Plus’ terms and conditions state that “the contest is void where prohibited or restricted by law”.

The FAQs available on the company’s website make it clear that “SA is exempt” from major prize draws.

On Monday, Murray Bridge News sought further comment from LMCT Plus about how it would handle any legal complications around the giveaway, asking:

Was the winner eligible to win the house?
Were SA residents excluded from the pool of entrants prior to the prize draw?
Would the winner receive the house anyway?
If not, what would LMCT Plus offer her?

At the time of publication, we had not received any response.

But on Wednesday night, Mr Portelli posted a new video on LMCT Plus’ social media channels.

The giveaway would be redrawn.

“(The woman) purchased a bronze package on the website of LMCT Plus, and on that website in the terms and conditions it does say that South Australians are exempt from major prizes,” a sheepish-looking Mr Portelli said in the video.

“We’ve spoken to (the woman) and she was well aware of what had happened.

“She’s obviously devastated, as you could imagine.

“It’s absolute nonsense that she cannot win a prize, (but) we must abide by these rules.”

This publication is not the only party asking questions about giveaways by LMCT Plus, either.

LMCT Plus is a subscription-based discount scheme, but its marketing leans into the member giveaways it conducts. Image: LMCT Plus.

Consumer and Business Services – the state government agency which looks after licensing for liquor, gambling and lotteries in South Australia – launched legal action against Mr Portelli and the company behind LMCT Plus, Xclusive Tech Pty Ltd, late last year.

Both the billionaire and the company were charged with conducting an unlawful lottery, in connection with an earlier giveaway of homes from The Block.

All lotteries and major trade promotions conducted in South Australia must have a licence from CBS, and must abide by certain regulations.

Both sides have made their case in the Magistrates Court, but no judgement has yet been handed down.

Under the Lotteries Act, the maximum penalty for conducting an unlawful lottery is a $10,000 fine.

It is also illegal to participate in an unlawful lottery, but a defendant can argue that they had a reasonable belief that the lottery was licensed at the time they entered.

In his Wednesday video, Mr Portelli argued that it was “completely fine” for South Australians to purchase memberships with LMCT Plus, because they could still access discounts from more than 100 businesses and participate in a daily $1000 cash draw.

The company was working on a solution to “this issue with the South Australian government”, he said: “We are coming up with a rectification, we are working on it in the background, so stick around, be patient South Australians, enjoy those discounts and $1000 every single day.”

The only participating business with a presence in the Murraylands, as far as Murray Bridge News is aware, are Elite Supplements and Jacksons 4x4.

The property on Phillip Island is absolutely luxurious. Photos: Barry Plant/Domain.

What might have been?

The property offered to the Murraylands woman, then taken away again, would have made a pretty decent little holiday home.

Real estate agency Barry Plant described it ahead of the auction as “the pinnacle of coastal living”, with four bedrooms and three bathrooms: “perfect as a permanent home, lavish holiday retreat or a strategic investment opportunity”.

Located in Cowes, Victoria, the main town on Phillip Island, it is about two hours’ drive southeast of Melbourne.

“Nestled in a prestigious gated estate, this home is just moments away from pristine north-facing beaches, the vibrant town centre, and renowned attractions such as the Phillip Island penguin parade and Moto GP circuit,” a real estate listing says.

“The interior of this home is a delight, featuring expansive open-plan living and dining areas flooded with natural light.

“With four generously sized bedrooms and three and a half bathrooms, including a luxurious master ensuite, this residence is designed for both comfort and style.”

The Harry sisters, from Sydney, took on the challenge of renovating the home five weeks into the 2024 season of The Block after previous contestants Jesse Maguire and Paige Beechey pulled out of the show.

For what it’s worth, the sisters won weekly prizes for the home’s guest ensuite and office/rumpus room.

The home went to auction on November 9, 2024, with a reserve price of $1.95 million.

Mr Portelli ended up swooping in with a bid of $3.5 million, making the Harry sisters the winners of the season and the billionaire the owner of all five houses featured that season.

He had taken an interest in previous seasons of the show, too, purchasing one of the featured homes in 2022 and three more in 2023.

However, he has since publicly distanced himself from the show and donated two properties which will feature in a rival production, My Reno Rules, on Seven in 2026.

Murray Bridge News invites the winner to get in touch if she reads this story; we would be happy to allow her to remain anonymous.