Orewa community celebrates mystery $23m Lotto winner; prize yet to be claimed

Orewa's tight-knit community is on the lookout for the mystery winner of the $23 million Lotto jackpot prize which still remains to be claimed.

Excited and anticipating customers with their Lotto tickets in hand, lined up at Orewa Lotto Plus Store yesterday wanting to know if they had won a jackpot.

And the owner of the lucky store that sold the $23 million Lotto Powerball ticket was rushing out the door early morning to open up the shop - in case the winner was standing outside waiting for their ticket to be checked.

Orewa Lotto Plus Store owner Amit Botadra was over the moon yesterday when he heard the winning ticket was sold from his shop. Photo / Akula Sharma

Orewa Lotto Plus owner Amit Botadra told the Herald his day yesterday was busy as everyone waited in anticipation for the lucky winner.

"My day yesterday was busy. It was a whole day of waiting for the winner to come and claim their prize. However, no one turned up."

Botadra had said yesterday just after 7am that he was getting ready to head out the door.

"The person [who won] might be waiting, standing outside - I don't know."

Loyal customer Bob Storm came to check his lotto ticket as soon as he heard of the winning store.

"I didn't win it though. I would've loved to come in for that ticket."

Previously a Lotto Winner and a regular player, Bob Storm shakes store owner Amit Botadra's hand congratulating him for the $23million Powerball ticket win. Photo / Akula Sharma

Tony Ruffer said he came to check his ticket bought on Saturday.

"It's pretty cool someone won the [big] lotto from here. I hope I win too."

Botadra said he jumped out of bed when he received the news that his store sold the $23 million winning Lotto ticket.

"The community wanted the win. We are quite tightly knit. Customers walk in most of them I know them by their first name.

"I'm in celebration mode."

Linda Huffman rushed to check her Lotto ticket at Orewa Lotto Plus Store in Auckland yesterday. Photo / Akula Sharma

Another customer, Linda Huffman, congratulated the store owner, and said she had come to check her ticket.

Huffman said she was not a regular Lotto buyer but when the jackpot is huge she bought one. The win was great for the community, she said.

"It's nice for the area, someone in the community has won it. We feel really good. Now we all are going to come and buy a lotto ticket from here."

The shop sold a winning Lotto Second Division ticket worth just over $21,500 last year. This was the store's 18th win.

The latest winning Lotto numbers were: 28, 8, 27, 24, 13 and 35. The Bonus Ball was 40, and the Power Ball was 3.

The latest big win is the 14th Powerball multi-millionaire of 2022. It is made up of $23 million in Lotto Powerball and $333,333 from a share of First Division.

Two other players will also pocket $333,333 for their First Division share. Those winning tickets were sold at Burnside Dairy in Christchurch and Hornby Mall Lotto in Christchurch.

The $1 million up for grabs in Strike was a "must be won" draw, and was split 128 ways, for $8553 each, after it rolled down to Strike 3.