$9.4 Million Powerball Prize Still Unclaimed

Media Release 14 November 2005

For Immediate Release

$9.4 Million Prize Won with Lotto Powerball Still to be Claimed

The $9.4 million Lotto Powerball prize, won on Saturday night by a single ticket sold in Manukau City, Auckland, is still to be claimed, says NZ Lotteries Chief Executive Trevor Hall.

The owner of the ticket will collect a total prize of $9,357,086, $8,838,713 from winning Powerball First Division and $518,373 from also winning Lotto First Division. The ticket was bought from Manukau City Lotto and is the seventh biggest Powerball win ever by a single ticket.

Mr Hall says it is not unusual for big winners to take some time to come forward and claim their prize.

It is the third big Powerball payout this year. In September, an Aucklander won $15 million and in June a Hawkes Bay family scored $12 million.

“Our advice to anyone who bought their ticket at Manukau City Lotto for last night’s draw is to keep it safe and get it checked.

“If they find they have won the big one they should immediately write their name on the back of the ticket, keep it in a safe place and contact our Wellington office.

“We’d encourage them to come to Wellington to claim the ticket so that we can give them advice about how best to handle a win of this size. Other big winners have told us they’ve found our advice very helpful, especially during the first few weeks after the win when they’re coming to terms with their windfall.”

Mr Hall says tickets holders have 12 months from the date of the draw their ticket was entered into to claim their ticket, but big winners usually come forward much earlier than that.

ENDS

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