Lotto Powerball: Dunedin couple win $8.25 million just before Christmas

Just like Santa Claus, a Dunedin couple had to check their list more than once after discovering they had won $8.25 million in Powerball.

The couple, who want to remain anonymous, were in disbelief at the “unreal” win in last Saturday’s draw.

They were at a barbecue with friends and family when the group decided to check their respective Lotto tickets.

“We got our MyLotto Apps out and checked, and our friends all joked they’d have to go to work on Monday,” the man said.

“But when we checked our ticket, we saw we were a major prize winner. We thought we might have won $1000 or something.

“We pressed the button to claim, and all of a sudden, we saw all these zeros.”

The woman said she “just about fell over”.

“We couldn’t believe it — and neither could our family.

“My sister thought we’d won $8.25.

“We definitely checked it more than once to make sure.”

The $8.25 million Powerball prize was made up of $8 million from Powerball first division and $250,000 from Lotto first division.

After they claimed their ticket, the man said there were celebrations all around.

“We were jumping up and down and making a bit of noise.”

Despite the life-changing win, the couple went to work this next week and planned to continue working.

“We enjoy our jobs,” the man said.

“But now we can do all the things on our bucket list.

“We don’t have to worry about the small things. This will make life more comfortable.”

They plan to use some of their winnings to travel overseas and help family and friends.