Editorial: Lotto keeps the dream alive

The Pokeno Countdown Lotto outlet. Photo / Dean Purcell

EDITORIAL

The winner of the $42.1 million Lotto Powerball has crossed money off their list of worries for the time being.

The $42.2m pot - $42 million from Powerball First Division and $200,000 from Lotto First Division - is the second largest win in Lotto history, after a $44 million Powerball prize claimed by a young couple from the Hibiscus Coast just under five years ago.

This time it's a local Pokeno family who only realised Powerball had been struck when they read the news.

"This prize is going to make a real difference both to our family and those in our community," the winners said in a statement. "Not only will we be able to help out the kids, but we'll also be able to help the people around us – we love where we live and are looking forward to being able to help out and support local businesses."

Thousands of Kiwis were left frustrated after not being able to get on to the website to check their tickets on Wednesday night. But probably not quite as frustrated as they would have been on Thursday morning when they did get online and found their tickets were only useful as bookmarks. Never gamble what you can't afford to lose.

Frustrated also described the people whose Lotto outlets have been closed by Covid restrictions. Under level 3 restrictions Lotto outlets in essential services such as supermarkets and dairies can open, provided they can meet Ministry of Health guidelines. Outlets in malls or other non-essential stores have the shutters down.

Still, many of the frustrations will be once more forgotten as the next draw nears and the tickets are clutched around the land as the balls drop. We can still dream, can't we?