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Are you New Zealand’s next Powerball winner?

Media Release 20 November 2014

Are you New Zealand’s next Powerball winner?

With the Powerball jackpot reaching $16 million this week Lotto New Zealand is searching for a lucky player to become New Zealand’s newest Lotto millionaire.

With 10 major First Division wins in just 10 months in 2014, Lotto NZ has looked back upon this year’s lucky winners to see what a major prize winner looks like.

So where are most big winners from – the North Island or the Sound Island? The verdict? It’s a tie.

There were five big wins in the South Island, with locals form Ashburton, Blenheim, Christchurch, Kaikoura and Takaka all boosting their bank balances; and the North Island matched it, with five big wins in Auckland, Feilding, Hastings, Kumeu and Pukekohe.

What about gender? Men may be from Mars and Women from Venus, but who wins more big jackpots? Once again – it’s a tie.

Five women and five men each became instant multi-millionaires with Powerball and Big Wednesday this year, winning an average prize of $11.94 million each.

Marital status was almost even as well, with six married and four single winners.

So with no clear profile emerging, Lotto NZ is pleased to announce that anyone could be the next big winner.

“It doesn’t matter where you live, what your gender is, whether you’re married or single, every player has just as much a chance of winning as any of this year’s biggest winners,” said Emilia Mazur, Head of Corporate Communications at Lotto New Zealand.

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“In fact, the only thing that every winner has in common is that they all bought a ticket.”

This year has been especially lucky for Kiwi Lotto players, with a spectacular run of winning seeing almost $120 million in First Division prizes shared by 10 lucky players since January.

This week’s Powerball jackpot has reached a huge $16 million and Lotto NZ is keen to see whether a win this weekend will see this year’s tally of winners reach 11 wins in 11 months.

“We’re looking forward to seeing what happens this weekend – who knows, we could be popping champagne and handing a lucky player $16 million on Monday.”

Lotto players can buy a ticket for this weekend’s $16 million Lotto Powerball draw from any Lotto retailer or online at MyLotto.co.nz.

Background:

2014 Lotto and Big Wednesday First Division wins

MonthGamePrizeLocation
February

Big Wednesday$8.6 millionKaikouraCelebrated with lunch at McDonald’s
Powerball$26.2 millionAucklandUsing winnings to indulge in holidays so he can enjoy summer all year round
MarchPowerball$5 millionChristchurchCarried ticket in wallet for days oblivious to what it was worth
AprilBig Wednesday$7 millionTakakaSplashed out on a family holiday to Europe flying business class
June

Powerball$13.2 millionKumeuCouldn’t stop laughing when Lotto shop told them the good news
Powerball$13.2 millionHastingsStayed at a hotel next to a car yard, when collecting prize in Auckland, to splash out on new wheels.
August

Powerball$14.3 millionAshburtonQuit his job as soon as he found out he’d won the big one.
Powerball$4.5 millionBlenheimThought they’d won $500,000 – then discovered they had the Powerball too
September

Big Wednesday$20.2 millionPukekoheBought winning ticket while waiting for his wife to finish the grocery shopping – and checked it a week later while she was doing the same thing
Powerball$7.2 millionFeildingFound out they’d won during an All Blacks’ game and quickly forgot about the match

ENDS


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