Wellington Local Claims $500,000 Lotto Prize

Wellington Local Claims $500,000 First Division Lotto Prize

In a scene similar to that of a current Lotto TV advertisement, a Wellington ticket holder needed to sit down when they suddenly found out they were $500,000 richer, New Zealand Lotteries Commission (NZ Lotteries) Chief Executive Trevor Hall said today.

Dipesh Patel, the Lotto manager at Kirby's Candies said the Wellington Lotto First Division winner was totally shocked by their $500,000 windfall.

"The person didn't know they had won Lotto First Division when they came into the store. I had to give them a chair to sit down on, so they could catch their breath," said Mr Patel.

The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, plans to share the winnings with their family.

Mr Patel said Kirby's Candies has become known as a lucky store since selling a winning ticket that scooped a big Lotto Powerball prize in December 2004 worth $9.9 million. The store has also sold nine other Lotto First Division winning tickets since Lotto began in 1987.

Another First Division winning ticket in the Saturday, 3 July draw was sold by Centre City Home Entertainment & Lotto shop in New Plymouth. This $500,000 prize has already been claimed.

ENDS

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