Two Take Big Powerball Prize

New Zealand has two new millionaires after two Lotto players won a half-share of the $7.2 million Lotto and Lotto Powerball prize at the weekend.

The two lucky winners have each won $3,552,759 after having the six winning Lotto numbers and the Lotto Powerball number on their tickets for Saturday night’s draw.

“Lotto Powerball was designed to offer players a jackpotting game with resulting big prizes. To create two new millionaires in one week means the game is delivering exactly what we promised,” Lotteries Commission public relations spokeswoman Marilyn Hooper says.

“The weekend’s result also highlights the unpredictability of the game. While Powerball can jackpot for a maximum of ten weeks, it can be won at any time and when it is won, players win huge prizes. This time, Powerball was won in week nine of its maximum ten weeks. Players who won a prize with their Lotto ticket and who also had the winning Powerball number won much bigger prizes.

“This week’s Lotto Division One prize was shared by five players who each won $266,531.

“Two of those players also won the Powerball Division One prize of $3,286,228 which took their winnings to a staggering $3,552,759.”

Lotto Powerball has now created three multi-millionaires. In late June, a ticket sold at Shell Kensington in Whangarei won the $8.2 million Powerball prize – New Zealand’s biggest-ever Lotto prize.

The first of this week’s Powerball prizes has already been claimed.

“The winners have requested total anonymity,” Mrs Hooper says, “but are happy to share that they’re a middle-aged couple who are regular Lotto and Powerball players. They bought their ticket at Braggers Lotto in Whangaparaoa on Saturday afternoon. They watched their win unfold on the live Lotto draw and were unable to concentrate on Saturday’s night rugby test while they waited to find out exactly how much they had won.

“Their winning ticket was a $7 Lucky Dip with Powerball,” Mrs Hooper says. “They plan to pay off the mortgage, help out their family and then invest the remainder of the money.”

The second winning Powerball ticket was sold at Roskill South Hammer Hardware on Auckland’s Dominion Road. The holder of this ticket has yet to claim their prize.

Since Powerball was launched in February, 66,976 Powerball winners have won a total of $30,011,525.

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