Young Christchurch Couple Celebrate $20.25 Million Powerball Prize

A young couple from Christchurch are still coming to terms with a life-changing moment after winning a staggering $20.25 million in Saturday’s Powerball draw – making them Lotto NZ’s thirteenth multi-millionaires of the year.

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, are regular players who tend to pick up a ticket when the jackpot is over $10 million.

The man was getting ready to go to the gym on Sunday morning, when he noticed an email from MyLotto.

He said he knew at that point he had won a prize over $1,000 – the threshold that triggers a MyLotto email.

“It stopped me in my tracks. I thought, ‘this could be interesting’.

“I went through to the bedroom to my wife, and we watched the draw together on my phone.

“Three numbers circled and that’s when my wife said, ‘wait – I’m sure I read that someone in Christchurch won Powerball last night.’”

Before they knew it, all their numbers had matched, including the Powerball.

“I was in complete disbelief, I kept questioning whether it was real,” said the woman.

“I think my first words were ‘I think I’ve just changed our lives,’” joked the man.

The couple celebrated quietly at home with a glass of bubbles and video-called their parents to share the incredible news.

“It was great to be able to tell them – they were all in shock.

“We didn’t get much sleep on Sunday. I made my husband check our ticket at 3am – just to be sure,” said the woman.

“I think seeing the money in our account will be a massive shock – it still doesn’t really feel real at the moment.”

With so much to think about for their future, the couple are planning to take some time before doing anything with their money.

“There’s a lot to consider so we’ll spend some time talking and planning before we make any big decisions.”

For now, they have a few small goals in mind.

“We’ll pay off the mortgage, maybe buy a new car, and of course make sure our passports are up to date,” he laughed.

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