Six Weeks Left To Claim - Kāpiti Coast $200,000 Lotto First Division Prize Still Unclaimed

Time is rapidly running out for a player who won $200,000 with Lotto First Division last year, as the ticket’s expiry date fast approaches.

The winning ticket was bought at Coastlands Lotto in Paraparaumu on the Kāpiti Coast and will expire on 31 August 2025, twelve months on from the draw date.

Will Hine, Head of Corporate Communications at Lotto NZ, says extensive efforts have been made to locate the player, and will continue until the winner is found, or the ticket expires.

“We started our search late last year, and we’re not quite giving up yet.

“We’re still hopeful that the player will come forward and we can reunite them with their prize in time, but the ticket expiry date is looming.”

Lotto NZ says the ticket may have been given away as a gift.

“The winning ticket is part of a Triple Dip that was purchased during the Father’s Day promotion, so perhaps the customer bought it for their father or someone special in their life.

“Maybe that rings a bell for someone who got given a ticket, gave away a ticket, or even just bought themselves a Triple Dip about that time last year,” says Hine.

It’s rare for such a large prize to remain unclaimed after so long, with First Division winners usually claiming their prizes within the first couple of weeks.

“We’ve had a good run this year finding winners of two unclaimed prizes of $500,000 in Pāpāmoa and Auckland. It’d be great to get closure on this one as well,” says Hine.

“We’re urging everyone to check for old tickets – look in drawers, glove boxes, wallets, and even the pockets of the coats you’ve not worn for a while.

“Look everywhere you would put your tickets – and also everywhere you don’t think they would be. Do it now – don’t leave it until the last minute, because once the 12 months is up, the prize cannot be claimed.”

If a player finds the winning ticket, they should write their name on the back of it and check it as soon as possible in-store, on MyLotto, or through the MyLottoApp.

Notes:

• The winning Lotto First Division ticket was bought at Coastlands Lotto in Paraparaumu for the draw on Saturday 31 August 2024.
• In Saturday 31 August’s 2024’s Lotto draw, five lucky players shared the $1 million jackpot, each taking home $200,000.
• The four other winning tickets were sold at Albany Superette in Auckland, Mitchell's Paper Power in Auckland, Clendon Postshop Lotto in Auckland, and on MyLotto to a player from Whanganui. These prizes have all been claimed.

Unclaimed prize information:

• Lotto NZ has found two winners of big prizes this year – a Pāpāmoa couple claimed a $500,000 prize after reading a story issued to media outlets in April, and in June another winner was reunited with their $500,000 prize after Lotto NZ contacted them through their bank.
• Winners have 12 months from the draw date to claim their prize. Expired prizes are returned to a prize pool used for future prizes and promotions, meaning all unclaimed prizes are returned to players through future prizes.
• On average, around $10 million in prizes (less than 1% of total prizes) goes unclaimed each year.
• A Powerball prize has never gone unclaimed – Lotto NZ has always found the winner. The biggest prizes to go unclaimed in the past five years were two $500,000 Lotto First Division prizes.
   

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