Pensioner wants to see $3.3m Lotto ticket

A Sydney disability pensioner who is suing NSW Lotteries over a 1997 unclaimed $3.3 million prize has called on the organisation to show him a copy of the winning ticket.

David Owen Renshaw has told the NSW Supreme Court he handed in his ticket at Granville Railway Station newsagency in the week following the September 23, 1997 draw.

He said he saw the words "provisional winner" come up, but the shop attendant threw the ticket in the bin saying "no winner" and refused to return it.

"I know what I saw, it has been playing on my mind for 20 years," he told Justice Michael Walton in June.

Mr Renshaw, who has represented himself to date, is suing NSW Lotteries and the state of NSW for the unclaimed $3.3 million, which is one-third of the first division prize in Oz Lotto Draw 188.

At a brief directions hearing on Thursday, Justin Hogan-Doran, a lawyer for NSW Lotteries, said Mr Renshaw had served the company with a notice to produce a copy of the winning ticket.

"Understandably that is not something the defendants are prepared to do," he said.

In his statement of claim, Mr Renshaw said he purchased a "mixed entry coupon" made up of six games of Systems 7 and of Standard Games all hand marked by him and an Auto Quick Pick entry coupon.

On Thursday, Justice Walton was told Mr Renshaw's application for pro-bono legal assistance with his case was successful, but further details were required to enable a lawyer to be briefed.

The case was adjourned for a further directions hearing on August 9.

In 2014, another pensioner failed in his legal bid to claim the prize after arguing he'd lost the winning ticket when he moved house.