'Lucky' shops fuel Lotto dreams

POT OF GOLD: Kuripuni Take Note Lotto and Post Shop, which sold a $36 million winning Big Wednesday ticket in 2009.

Wairarapa punters are flocking to the region's "luckiest" shops in the hopes of raking in the big bucks this weekend.

This Saturday's Lotto draw comes with a Powerball prize of $30 million, which jackpotted after last weekend's $27 million prize went unclaimed.

Enticed by such a big potential windfall, residents are heading to the Lotto outlets with the golden touch, including the top three "luckiest" stores in Wairarapa: Masterton New World, Kuripuni Take Note Lotto & Post Shop and Pain & Kershaw Martinborough.

The Kuripuni Take Note store sold a $36 million Big Wednesday ticket to Masterton woman Margaret Heaney and her daughters in 2009 - and owner Maureen Taute said her regulars flooded through the door as soon as they heard about the $27 million prize.

"The $36 million was the biggest prize yet - and people come in thinking our store might do it again," said Mrs Taute.

"When you buy, you hope it's you, and when you sell the ticket, you hope it's you, too. You always live in hope when you play Lotto."

She said Take Note was "very busy" last week, and predicts it will get busier yet with $30 million now on the line.

"It has to be won this week," she said. "So people are buying tickets thinking they have even more of a chance."

Also hoping to continue its good fortune is Masterton New World's Lotto kiosk, which sold a $5.5 million winning Powerball ticket four years ago.

"It would be nice to sell another big one," said kiosk manager Trish Gallon. "It's really exciting. Hopefully the winner comes this way."

Ms Gallon said the kiosk had had a busy start to the week, and she has been serving plenty of new customers who do not usually buy Lotto tickets.

She said she notices a spike in sales whenever the kiosk sells a successful ticket.

"It's very common - people do come in when we've sold a big one the week before."

Lynda Sinclair, Lotto manager at Pain & Kershaw Martinborough, said customers could be "quite superstitious" when choosing where to buy a ticket.

"They know there's certain stores that get lots of winners," she said.

"So, no matter where they are, they will send people there to get their tickets for them. If they know you're the operator that printed a winning ticket, they'll hunt you out, and say 'I want you.'

"They really believe there's something there. But, you have to believe to receive."

Pain & Kershaw sold a Powerball ticket in 2011 which won a local man $1.4 million.

That same year, it sold a Winning Wheel ticket to Martinborough fisherman Peter Purvis.

"It was so freaky. What are the chances?" said Ms Sinclair.

"This is a lucky little store. And, I think it's about time we sold another big one."

Last year, the three stores were revealed to be the "luckiest" in Wairarapa by the Times-Age, bringing in a total of almost $25 million in winnings since 1987.

Luckiest in 2012 was Masterton New World with 11 first division winners, followed by Kuripuni Take Note with eight (excluding the Big Wednesday prize) and Pain & Kershaw with seven.

This week's $30 million prize will be spread across all divisions if no player gets all six numbers.