The Patel family, owners of Albany Village Superette speak to the Herald about selling a winning $30 million dollar Lotto ticket.
Video / NZ Herald
An Albany family is elated after discovering one of their customers won last night’s $30 million Powerball jackpot.
Husband and wife Binal and Hiren Patel have only owned the Albany Central Superette in Auckland for a year and a half, but already have a first division winner under their belt.
“We’d sold second division [winning tickets], but not first division [until now],” Hiren Patel said.
“It’s really exciting for us,” Binal Patel said.
“When we went home, the retail manager called my husband [to say] that we sold the winning ticket,” Hiren Patel said.
“Normally when [people] buy the ticket they always ask, ‘Did you sell the big ticket here?’, and we always say not yet.”
A Lotto spokesperson confirmed the lucky winner was still yet to come forward to claim their prize. It’s made up of $30m from Powerball First Division and $200,000 from Lotto First Division.
Four other players won $200,000 from First Division in last night’s draw.
The winning tickets were sold at Whau Valley Dairy in Whangārei and on MyLotto to players from Auckland, Christchurch and Canterbury.
The family hadn’t spoken to the first division winner but said in the past customers have visited to let the family know they sold them a winning ticket.
Kajal Patel with Albany Central Superette owners Hiren Patel, Binal Patel and their kids, Jyan and Hiyan. Photo / Michael Craig
“Last year when we sold the ticket, one lady came in after and she told us she won the second division,” Hiren Patel said.
The couple’s son, Jyan Patel, said he was excited to tell his school class that his family business had sold a winning lotto ticket.
Yesterday’s numbers were 32, 17, 28, 30, 21, and 12. The bonus ball was 36, and the Powerball was 10.
Ticket holders can see immediately if they have won if they purchased a ticket through MyLotto. Prizes of $1000 or less are automatically credited to the account.
