Five Bay punters win share of last Big Wednesday

Bayfair Lotto owner Weber Yu and his team were run off their feet with demand yesterday. Photo / Andrew Warner

Five Bay punters won in Lotto's last ever Big Wednesday draw. They bought two tickets from Maungatapu Stationers, two from New World Whangamata and one from Bayfair Lotto.

The $15 million Big Wednesday jackpot was not hit, meaning the cash was rolled down to Third Division which was shared among 209 winners throughout New Zealand.

Each winner won a windfall of $87,272.

First thing yesterday morning, a couple were already at Bayfair Lotto to claim their prize.

Assistant Jennifer Sharplin said the winners were a lovely older couple.

"They knew they had won, they watched the draw on TV which is what a lot of older people like to do," she said.

Ms Sharplin said the couple were excited and very, very pleased.

Their winning ticket came as a bonus ticket, which was given to them when the ticket they bought the week prior had not won.

"I'm very surprised they got it on a ticket that they didn't actually purchase for that night," she said.

"It's just four lines that you don't think are really worth anything but there you go. It's worth $87,000."

On Wednesday, Ms Sharplin said the feedback from customers was that they hoped the jackpot would be split among many, instead of making only one person rich.

"Isn't it wonderful," Ms Sharplin said.

Maungatapu Stationers owner Balvir Singh was very excited when one of his employees called him to pass on the exciting news yesterday.

It was the biggest major win sold from the store - and it was two of them.

The biggest win sold from Maungatapu Stationers before that had only been about $800, Mr Singh said.

"That's the first time we've had such a big win.

"Hopefully it's local people who have won them."

Around the country, Coastlands Lotto in Paraparaumu struck extreme luck when they sold not one, not two, but six winning tickets - a total of $523,632 in prize money.

Big Wednesday draw has finished to make way for Lotto, Powerball and Strike to be played on Wednesday as well as Saturday from October 7.

New Zealand's luckiest Lotto outlets
•Paraparaumu - Coastlands Lotto (x6)
•Christchurch - Countdown Hornby (x4)
•Christchurch - Hornby Mall Lotto (x4)
•Christchurch -Lotto and Wild Thingz (x4)
•Auckland - Cloud 9 Convenience (x4)
•Palmerston North - Pioneer New World (x3)
•MyLotto - MyLotto.co.nz (x25)
• with multiple winning Big Wednesday tickets