Papamoa supermarket sells another big Lotto prize

Gloria Goepel and Sharron Taylor at the lucky Papamoa Pak'nSave. Photo/Andrew Warner

A $500,000 winning Lotto ticket sold in Papamoa had not yet been claimed yesterday and store staff were eagerly awaiting the lucky player.

The winning first division ticket for Wednesday night's draw was sold at Papamoa Pak'nSave after another lucky punter from Whangarei took away $5.5m in Powerball first division.

Papamoa Pak'nSave Lotto supervisor Gloria Goepel said this week's win was exciting with the last win in the store only a few months ago.

A $1 million winning ticket was won at Papamoa Pak'nSave on September 21, 2016.

"It's pretty amazing, I was so excited when I first saw the news.

"Hopefully a local family, one who needs a helping hand, will claim the prize," she told The Bay of Plenty Times from the store yesterday.

She said the store had been abuzz with punters checking their tickets yesterday and it was exciting waiting for the winning ticket to come through the store.

Papamoa Pak'nSave checkout second in command Sharron Taylor said she believed the supermarket was a lucky Lotto shop.

A number of other prizes had been won at the store including a third division Lotto win and a first division Strike win over the six years it had been open.

Anyone who bought their ticket from Papamoa Pak'n Save should write their name on the back of the ticket and check it immediately at any Lotto outlet, online at MyLotto.co.nz or through the Lotto NZ ticket-checker app.

Players can phone Lotto on 0800 695 6886 if they want to inquire about the best way to claim a prize.

Other big wins in Tauranga this year have included:
February: A Tauranga family won $7.1m with a Powerball ticket bought from AJ's Lotto
March: A Bay of Plenty local won $1m in Lotto first division
September: A Gate Pa man won $1m with a first division ticket from Gate Pa Superette
September: A Tauranga couple won $1m with a ticket bought from Pak'n Save Papamoa
October : AJ's Lotto sold a winning $333,333 Lotto first division ticket