Two North Island Players Claim $5.08 Million Wins

Two North Island Powerball players are celebrating lifechanging news this week after each taking home $5.08 million from Saturday’s $15 million Powerball First Division jackpot.

The prize was shared three ways, with the third winning ticket sold at New World Greymouth on the West Coast yet to be claimed.

Wellingtonian’s weekend walk leads to big win

One of the lucky North Island winners is a man from the Greater Wellington region, and his simple weekend routine has just paid off in spectacular fashion.

Every weekend, he hops in the car and drives to the beach for a walk and to pick up his ticket from his favourite store in the area, Coastlands Lotto, on the Kāpiti Coast.

“It’s just my little ritual,” he said. “I love to be by the sea, so I grab a coffee and have a stroll on the beach, and before I go home I buy my tickets for the week ahead.”

He discovered his win later that night when he sat down to check the results.

“I looked at the results online, and when I matched the numbers on my ticket, I thought I must have done something wrong. I looked back and forth at the ticket and the screen a good few times,” he said.

“When I saw that it was split between three people I thought that was wonderful too – it’s a great amount of money for three families to share in.”

The man is yet to share the news with his family, but plans to tell them in the near future.

“I’ll wait until it’s in my bank account first and let myself process the news a bit more before I tell anyone, but I am looking forward to telling my children.

“This win means I can help them, and my grandchildren – it feels great to know I can give them a bit of a boost as they start their lives,” he said.

Masterton man’s early morning surprise

The second winner, a Masterton man who buys his tickets online, found out he’d won bright and early on Sunday morning.

“I logged in at about 6:30am to check my ticket, still in bed and half-asleep,” he said. “Next thing I know, I’m running through the house in my underwear yelling, ‘Oh my god, Dad! Dad!’”

His dad, startled awake, needed a moment to take in the news.

“He was asleep and wondered what on earth was going on,” laughed the man.

“After I woke him up screaming, he understandably thought something terrible had happened until I turned my phone around and showed him the screen.”

“I was shaking so much, I didn’t know what to do. Honestly I think I’m still in shock,” he said.

The man has no firm plans yet, saying he will take one step at a time.

“I just want to sit on it for a while before I make any decisions. It was so unexpected… things like this don’t happen to people like me. It’s life-changing money and I want to make sure I make the most of it,” he said.

Third winner yet to come forward

The third winning ticket was sold at New World Greymouth, and Lotto NZ is encouraging anyone who bought a ticket there to check it as soon as possible.

“Someone could be walking around completely unaware they’re now a multi-millionaire,” said Lotto NZ Head of Corporate Communications, Will Hine.

“If you picked up a ticket at New World Greymouth for Saturday’s draw, you could be our ‘lucky last’ winner.

“If so, please get in touch so we can guide you through the claims process or present your ticket at any Lotto outlet,” he said.

West Coasters might want to have an extra careful look around for tickets – there’s also a $500,000 Lotto First Division prize from November that hasn’t been claimed.

“That ticket was bought in Westport,” said Hine. “So this is a great reminder to dig out any old tickets and check them. You never know what you might find.”

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