Quick decision bags Auckland man $1 million
1 April 2014
Quick decision bags Auckland man $1 million
A spur of the moment purchase has left an Auckland man $1 million richer after winning Lotto First Division on Saturday night.
The winner only buys Lotto tickets occasionally, but decided to pick one up on a whim after spotting a Lotto store while out shopping last week.
“I usually only buy Lotto tickets when the jackpot is really high, but for some reason when I walked by a Lotto shop last week I just decided to pick one up,” explained the winner.
With his ticket safely tucked in his wallet, the winner checked his ticket late on Saturday night while out with friends.
“For some reason, I checked my ticket around 11 o’clock that night. I pulled up the winning numbers on my mobile, and realised pretty quickly that I had them all.
“Since I was out I had to try really hard to contain my excitement – I just slipped my ticket back in my wallet and tried to act like my life hadn’t just changed,” the winner laughed.
After a restless Sunday, the winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, visited Lotto NZ’s Auckland office to claim his prize in person.
“I was pretty nervous about the win, so it’s fair to say I didn’t get a lot done at work on Monday morning! But as soon as I stepped into the Lotto office it all came together – it just felt right.
“As I handed over the little yellow piece of paper it really hit me that my life was about to change and all these doors would open up. It’s an incredible feeling.”
The winning ticket was sold at Mitchell’s Paper Power in Northcote.
The Lotto First Division jackpot of $2 million was shared by two Lotto players from Auckland and Christchurch.
ENDS