Lotto $18 million Powerball struck

Lotto's Powerball jackpotted to $18 million after Wednesday's big prize was not struck.

Tonight's big win comes just days after a south Auckland Lotto player became a millionaire. Wednesday's winner scooped up a humble $1 million.

In December an Aucklander, who bought a ticket online, won $10 million. The lucky numbers for that draw - on December 10 - were 19, 14, 33, 24, 35 and 36, a bonus ball of 27 and Powerball of 9.

Lotto's biggest ever prize of $44 million was also scooped up by Aucklanders when it was drawn on November 10, 2016. A young couple from the Hisbiscus Coast won the prize.

The husband said they had been "busting our guts trying to buy our first home".

"As soon as I saw I had all the numbers on one line I just yelled 'holy ****!' - my boss thought I'd chopped my arm off with a saw."

They bought their lucky ticket at Dairy Flat Foodmart and Liquor.

Although Auckland had the biggest win, Dunedin claimed the crown for the luckiest Powerball town in New Zealand, with two $13 million wins within a month of each other.

A couple from Dunedin won $13.3 million in July last year and then just one month later another Dunedin couple scooped the same amount.

But earlier this week, Lotto revealed the luckiest district in New Zealand was actually Otorohanga in the Waikato.

On average Otorohanga District residents won about $1526 per capita, almost $600 more than the second most prosperous area, Auckland's Rodney Ward.

A ticket sold in the small coastal town of Kawhia in July 2016 helped Otorohanga reach top spot when it proved to be a $13.3m Powerball winner.

The biggest wins in Lotto history:
• $36.8m Big Wednesday prize - Masterton - June 2009
• $28.7m Powerball - Papakura - October 2010
•$27m Big Wednesday prize - Tauranga September 2012
• $33m Powerball prize - West Auckland - September 2013
• $44m Powerball prize - North Auckland - November 2016