Special chair awaits shocked Lotto winner

Staff of Manukau City Lotto in South Auckland have got a special chair handy in the hope of finding a winner today of more than $9 million from last Saturday's draw.

"We might need the proverbial chair to sit someone on," said Jeff Corfield, co-owner of the outlet that sold the ticket, which won the Powerball and first division for a grand total of $9,357,989, the seventh-biggest jackpot in the game's history.

Lotteries Commission chief executive Trevor Hall said yesterday that many players bought tickets on weekly cycles, so there was a good chance the winner may turn up today for a regular purchase and check last week's winner.

"It was in South Auckland as well, so someone who may not speak English may have missed all the usual contacts," he said.

In the five months Mr Corfield and wife Marilyn have sold tickets for prizes of $458,000 and $100,000 and two second-division winners. As the shop was on a main route to Auckland Airport, the winner might have gone overseas without knowing Lady Luck was waiting at home, Mrs Corfield said.