$8.6m claimed in New Year's Eve draw

Tony and Sharyn Burns of 525 Mags & Cards have been swamped. Picture / Alan Gibson

His coffee was drunk but his breakfast went uneaten when a Bay of Plenty man discovered he had won a whopping $8.6 million.

The man won the prize in the New Year's Eve Lotto Powerball jackpot, but it was not until two days later that he realised it.

He won $8 million from Powerball First Division and $601,253 from Lotto First Division, making it the country's eighth-biggest lottery win.

NZ Lotteries said yesterday that the prize had been claimed, ending days of speculation at 525 Mags & Cards, the Tauranga store where the ticket was sold.

Chief executive Trevor Hall said the winner had come forward but wanted to remain anonymous. Mr Hall revealed only that the man and his family came from Bay of Plenty.

The man told NZ Lotteries that he knew he had bought his ticket at Mags & Cards but did not bother checking it until Monday morning.

"I was going downtown to get some breakfast. I bought a coffee and some food and thought that I'd get a copy of the results and check them against my ticket," he said.

"Well, that coffee tasted good, but I never got to the food. My first reaction was: 'Holy moly, I've won'."

The man did not immediately click to how much he had won.

"I didn't know about the Powerball at first. Then I checked the results again and realised that I'd won the whole lot."

He claimed to feel pretty calm about his windfall and was working with his family to decide the best way to use his new-found wealth.

Mags & Cards owners Tony and Sharyn Burns said the man had not come into the store to claim his prize but contacted NZ Lotteries directly.

The couple, who have owned the store for just six weeks, said they had been very excited to learn they sold the winning ticket, although Mr Burns could think of a happier outcome.

"It'd be better if we'd bought the ticket ourselves," he joked.

And by yesterday, he and his wife were relieved the prize had been claimed.

Mrs Burns said they had been rushed off their feet all week with customers who hoped they had won.

"It's sort of like a euphoria - people get all hyped up," she said.

"They come running through the door with a bundle of tickets, often weeks old, and want them checked."

As if to illustrate her point, a man walked up to the counter with a pile of tickets.

None won him anything and he looked disappointed when told the big prize had been claimed.

Asked if he wanted his losing tickets back, he said:

"No, thanks.

"I could wallpaper the whole house if I wanted those back."