Lotto: Lucky Palmerston North resident wins $14.3m

Two other Lotto winners from Ashburton and Kaiapoi will also be celebrating after each winning $333,333 with Lotto First Division tonight. Photo/ Michael Bradley.

One lucky Palmerston North resident has scooped up a $14.3 million win in tonight's Lotto draw.

The country's latest big winner's pot of money was made up of $14m from Powerball First Division and $333,333 from Lotto First Division.

The golden ticket was sold at Melody's New World in Palmerston North.

Two other Lotto winners from Ashburton and Kaiapoi will also be celebrating after each winning $333,333 with Lotto First Division tonight. The winning Lotto tickets were sold at Kaiapoi New World and on MyLotto to a player from Ashburton.

Strike Four was also won tonight by a player from Christchurch, who took home $200,000. The winning Strike ticket was sold at Wainoni Pak'NSave in Christchurch.

The golden ticket was sold at Melody's New World in Palmerston North. Photo / File

The big win comes three weeks after one lucky Morrinsville ticket won $5.5 million in Powerball First Division. But the prize is yet to be claimed.

Lotto NZ has urged anyone who bought a Powerball ticket from Paper Plus Morrinsville to check their ticket to see if they're the big winner.

The $5.5m prize was made of $5m from Powerball First Division and $500,000 from Lotto First Division.

Marie Winfield from Lotto NZ says most Powerball winners claim their prize within a few days of winning big.

"The winner may know that they have the lucky winning ticket and could just be letting the news sink in, or they may be completely unaware that their little yellow ticket is worth millions," she said.

"We can't wait to meet you and celebrate your amazing win."

In December 2019 a $17.1m prize went unclaimed for over three weeks, as the South Island winner quietly came to terms with the enormity of their win, laying low for a while before coming forward to Lotto NZ.

And in August 2019 a $12.2m winner was only made aware they'd scooped up the prize when Lotto NZ contacted them through the MyLotto they'd bought the ticket on.

One winner got the surprise of this life when Lotto NZ turned up at his Christchurch home to tell him he'd won $22m.

He'd thought the prize had already been claimed.

Winfield said there'd already been 25 Powerball winners so far this year.