Springfield Superette owner Raj Kumar sold the winning ticket. Photo / Daily Post
Rotorua winner can count lucky stars this morning.
A Rotorua Lotto player walked into his local dairy this afternoon with no idea he was $24 million richer.
The lucky punter struck it big last night, winning a $24.3m jackpot.
At about 4pm he turned up at the Springfield Superette.
"The person went and checked the ticket, realised it was a huge amount and asked if it was correct," said superette owner Rajesh Kumar, who came to work on his day off in case the winner came in.
Mr Kumar said the man had bought Lotto tickets from him for the 16 years he had owned the superette.
When he realised the man was a winner, he temporarily shut the shop to give the new millionaire some privacy.
"He just had a soft drink, just to calm the nerves," Mr Kumar said.
"They couldn't believe it. He seemed composed, but I don't think it had sunk in because it takes time."I tell you what it's still sinking in for me as well. It's so amazing. That's our job, our job is to sell tickets.
"[The winner is] very much a Kiwi person at heart, a genuine sort of person, very humble. He's always been polite, never had any issues. [He] just always comes in to get stuff.
"The wife, family, kids, the grand kids come in. They're always very polite, the whole family. They're very faithful and loyal to me."
Mr Kumar said he'd put the man's claim through to Lotto NZ.
"Hopefully in the next couple of days, the [winner] gets $24.3 million in their account."
The winner, who normally plays powerball, this week bought an $18 ticket.
It's not the first big-winning ticket Mr Kumar has sold.
He recalled a million dollar one about 3-and-a-half years ago, not long after he'd sold a $50,000 winning scratchie.
Five years ago he'd also put through a claim for a $16m winner, but didn't sell that ticket.
"I've seen some big ones come in here. They were locals as well."
The $24.3m is made up of $23.8m from powerball first division and $500,000 from Lotto first division.
Two Auckland friends who have been buying Lotto tickets together for more than a decade were also winners last night.
Best friends Margaret and Edith, whose last names were not released, took out the top prize of $1 million after spinning the Lotto Winning Wheel on Saturday night.
It is the first time the hefty haul has been won since 2012.
The pair have been buying Lotto tickets together, using the same numbers, for 11 years.
Margaret said she couldn't make out the $1 million segment because the wheel was spinning around so fast.
"When it stopped on the $1 million, I looked at Edith in shock," she said.
"It feels unreal and it's going to take awhile to sink in."
Meanwhile, the country is holding its breath to find out which Rotorua Lotto player woke up $24 million richer today.
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