Porirua Lotto winner plans to split $15 million prize

Eastside Four Square and Lotto owner Dipek Dubariya, right, and staff Nimesh Bhavsar, left, and Prjesh Patel sold the winning ticket. Photo / Mark Mitchell

If your best mate lives in Porirua, keep an eye on your phone -- as the $15 million Lotto winner is planning to give half his winnings to his best friend.

The winner of last night's Lotto Powerball is a local from Porirua, Wellington. He purchased the ticket from the Eastside Four Square & Lotto store in the Wellington suburb.

In a statement to the Herald, the lucky winner said he and his family were locals from Porirua and were now planning to buy a new car.

They would also be honoring a promise to share their winnings with a close friend.

"I will definitely be sharing it with friends and family.

"I told my best mate years ago that if I won Lotto I'd give him half so I'm sticking to my word and I can't wait to tell him that $7.5 million is his."

The winner said he had been playing the same numbers -- made up of birthdays and anniversaries -- for years.

"I play most draws. I knew there was a big jackpot on offer but I would have been playing anyway. As I like to say, "you've got to be in it to win it."

The winner did not want to reveal too many details about himself, but said he would continue to work -- and play Lotto.