Christchurch man claims $5.5m Powerball Lotto win, Dunedin-bought ticket unclaimed

Two ticketholders won last weekend's Lotto Powerball draw, but only one has claimed their prize. Photo / Michael Bradley

• A Christchurch man has claimed his $5.5m Lotto Powerball First Division prize after Saturday’s draw.
• Securing his and his family’s future high on list of priorities, along with travel, man says.
• A second winner, who bought their Lotto Powerball ticket in Dunedin, is yet to claim their $5.5 million prize.

One of the country’s two new Lotto multimillionaires has claimed his winnings, describing his legs turning “to jelly” when the $5.5 million prize was confirmed.

The Christchurch man and a second person or group who bought their ticket in the South Island - and is yet to claim their prize - won $5.5m each in the Powerball First Division on Saturday.

A regular Lotto player, the Christchurch winner had no idea Powerball had been struck until he checked his ticket on Sunday morning.

“I went to the New World to grab myself a coffee and thought I’d check my ticket while I was there.

“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 whispered to the Lotto operator that he thought he’d won Division One, asking them to check the ticket he bought at New World St Martins.

“They confirmed I’d won $5.5m, and my legs felt like jelly.”

After filling out the necessary paperwork, the man called his family and a close friend to share the news.

“They were ecstatic for me – probably more excited than I was”, said the man, who asked to remain anonymous.

He’d gone out for lunch with a few friends - his shout - before spending the rest of the day, and night, thinking about what to do with the mega windfall.

“I couldn’t sleep last night and had lots running through my mind. You start imagining the holiday home, the overseas trips.

“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.”

With the second winner yet to claim their prize Lotto NZ is encouraging anyone who bought their ticket from New World Gardens in Dunedin - where the ticket was sold - to write their name on the back of their ticket and check it as soon as possible in-store or on MyLotto.

Ticketholders can phone Lotto NZ on 0800 695 6886 to discuss the best way to claim a prize.

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