Tonight’s $12 million Lotto Powerball jackpot has been won, marking the 19th player to become a multi-millionaire in 2023.
One punter in Auckland has taken out $12.2m in total, with an extra $200,000 won in Lotto First Division.
The winning ticket was sold on MyLotto.
Tonight’s winning numbers were: 10, 15, 17, 25, 33, and 38, with a bonus ball of 30; the Powerball was 7.
Four other players have won the $200,000 prize, with winning tickets sold at Whitcoulls New Lynn, New World Rototuna in Hamilton, Four Square Ruatoria and Pak’n Save Petone, in Lower Hutt.
Three others have taken out Lotto NZ’s Christmas promotion, with winning tickets sold at Māngere Stationary and Post, Andrew Spence Pharmacy in Napier, and another on MyLotto.
Strike Four has rolled over and will be $400,000 on Wednesday.
Tonight’s big jackpot came weeks after an Otago couple took home $8.25m from Powerball.
Other mammoth wins from throughout the year include $37.125m won in Paraparaumu, $33.5m won in Christchurch, $24.25m struck in Lower Hutt and $23.5m won in Auckland.
The Paraparaumu winner claimed her $37m jackpot in August and spoke to the Herald after her win saying she had only gone to the supermarket to buy a chocolate bar and picked up her lucky Lotto ticket on a whim.
The Christchurch couple who won the $33.5m - one of the largest Lotto draws in recent history - kept their ticket hidden in the sock drawer for days while they worked out what they would do with their winnings.
The couple, who wished to remain anonymous, said they were overwhelmed by the magnitude of the win and needed time to process it before coming forward.
A Lotto spokesperson said the winners occasionally played Lotto and had bought a Powerball Dip a week before the multi-million dollar draw.
The woman said her husband had already gone to bed and she had to wake him up to confirm the prize.
“My husband had already gone to bed so I woke him up and said, ‘Can you please check this for me? These numbers are dancing on the paper. Is it actually real?’”
Across the ditch, meanwhile, three players of the Oz Lotto Boxing Day draw took home NZ$97m between them.
The winners, who are all from Sydney, said they would spend the money on a new home and an overseas trip while one couple plans to retire early.
Thousands of people have reported issues accessing their accounts.