Big Wednesday won at last

After 16 weeks of Lotto's Big Wednesday, a big winner in Thames scooped the $12.8 million grand prize last night - and it seems he or she took no chances on the coin toss.

A "tails" toss took the grand prize - $11.2 million plus a Porsche, a Range Rover, $250,000 worth of travel, a $250,000 American Express account, a Mustang sports cruiser and a $500,000 Kiwi bach.

A "heads" ticket with the same numbers took the $233,979 second prize, but as both tickets were sold at the Martina Four Square & Lotto in Thames, someone may have just cleaned up both divisions.

If so, their net prize is worth $13,054,103.

NZ Lotteries communications manager Gabi Nobis said it was not uncommon for players with their own lucky numbers to buy two tickets - both with the same numbers, but one with heads, the other with tails.

The winning ticket has scored New Zealand's third-largest lottery prize ever.