A Christchurch man is celebrating after claiming $5.5 million from Saturday night’s Powerball First Division draw.
The lucky winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, was one of two players to strike it rich in the weekend’s draw, each taking home $5.5 million.
The Christchurch man said he was completely unaware Powerball had been won until the following morning when he checked his ticket while out grabbing a coffee.
“I went to the New World to grab myself a coffee and thought I’d check my ticket while I was there,” he said.
“I held it under the ticket checker and ‘Division One Winner’ popped up on the screen. I had a bit of a mild panic at that point and lots of questions popped into my mind – the main one being ‘is this the big prize?’”
The man quietly approached the Lotto counter and asked the operator to double-check his ticket.
“They confirmed I’d won $5.5 million, and my legs felt like jelly,” he laughed.
After completing the paperwork, he called his family and a close friend to share the news.
“They were ecstatic for me – probably more excited than I was!” he said.
While he hasn’t had time for a proper celebration, the lucky winner treated a few friends to lunch and spent the rest of the day dreaming about what the future might hold.
“I couldn’t sleep last night and had lots running through my mind – you start imagining the holiday home, the overseas trips, etc.
“I am going to wait a while before I make any decisions though. I want to make sure this money works for mine and my family’s future.”
The winning ticket was purchased at New World St Martins in Christchurch.
The second winning ticket from the same draw was sold at New World Gardens in Dunedin, but that prize is yet to be claimed. Lotto NZ is urging anyone who purchased a ticket from that store to write their name on the back and check it as soon as possible.
Players can also contact Lotto NZ on 0800 695 6886 for advice on claiming a prize.
Saturday’s $10 million Powerball jackpot was split between the two winners, each receiving $5 million from Powerball First Division and an additional $500,000 from Lotto First Division.
