11 March 2005

Player 'Set For Life' After $500,000 Instant Kiwi Win

An Instant Kiwi player has scratched their way to a $500,000 prize in the 'Set for Life' game, New Zealand Lotteries Commission (NZ Lotteries) Chief Executive Trevor Hall said today.

The $6 ticket was sold by Maskell Stationery & Lotto in St Heliers, Auckland, and the prize was claimed at the same store on Tuesday, 8 March.

The owners of Maskell Stationery & Lotto, Bharat and Bharti Lad, were thrilled for the lucky player.

Mr Lad said the winners are regular customers 'who will make good use of the prize'.

"The winners scratched the ticket on Monday evening and had a sleepless night before claiming the prize on Tuesday morning.

"We were all delighted. We hugged and kissed when the ticket was validated and they knew for sure they had won."

The Lads have had their store for one year and previously owned a Lotto store in Manurewa for six years.

"I absolutely love sharing the excitement with winners when they win," Mr Lad said.

The top prize for the 'Set for Life' game is $50,000 every year for 10 years. Three of the possible four $500,000 prizes in 'Set for Life' are still to be won.

Instant Kiwi began in 1989 as part of the NZ Lotteries game family. On average, two or three players each week win $10,000 or more.

In the year ended June 2004 NZ Lotteries gave $118 million back to the community through the Lottery Grants Board, who administers funding allocations to community groups.

ENDS

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