Te Kuiti's $7.3 million Lotto mystery

Excitement is building in the tiny King Country town of Te Kuiti after a $7.3 million Lotto ticket was sold.

While nobody knows who the lucky winner is, everybody is wanting to know who it is, say locals in Te Kuiti (population 4221).

A Lotto spokeswoman this morning confirmed the ticket was yet to be claimed.

The winning ticket was sold at Te Kuiti Paper Plus and owner Davina Davey said it's the biggest one they've ever sold after a lucky punter scooped $5.2m on Big Wednesday a few years ago.

She hadn't seen many locals around town today, as the shop was closed, but she'd noticed plenty of comments on Facebook with people wondering who it might be.

"I haven't really seen anyone, I've just seen different comments and stuff on Facebook and everybody's wondering who it is, obviously."

She'd also fielded a few text messages from friends wondering if her syndicate was involved but had to declare she hadn't been lucky either.

Davey hoped it would be a local person but was just pleased for the lucky winner either way.

A previous local winner in last year's $1m syndicate, who wants to be known as Melanie, said news of the ticket being sold in town last night brought the rush of feelings back.

"It's pretty crazy for the town, it's awesome, so good.

Five of the group of eight Te Kuiti work syndicate that won $1 million between them in August last year. It had proved a life-changing experience, one of the winners says.

"I'm in two syndicates now. Since our Lotto win, I'm in another syndicate now so when the news came through on the internet last night, gosh, we all got really excited again and all those feelings came flooding back, like 'OMG', because it's town again and chances are it's going to be someone that we know or the possibility that it could happen again."

She said it's the third first division in Te Kuiti, fourth in the region, since theirs on August 2.

"The very next week someone in Otorohanga won online ... and then four weeks after we won, in the same Lotto shop [New World] another local person won first division and now Te Kuiti Paper Plus which is just absolutely crazy."

Melanie said the group of eight received $125,000 each which had been more than enough to change the lives of many.

"It wasn't crazy money like this is but it was still life changing for our families. By Lotto standards it's probably not a hell of a lot, but by our standards, like, we're all workmates and to be able to share that experience together [was amazing]."

One of the syndicate had been in debt since his first job. She said he was a new man since being able to walk in and pay it off.

"Another person has put in a new kitchen, someone else has bought a new car and given their children money. I'm in the process of buying a new house, like, literally within the next couple of weeks, but that wouldn't have been possible if it wasn't for that."

She said the wins had been good for the town and she'd noticed more people mentioning that they were now buying tickets.

"The amount of people I know now that say, 'OMG, it actually is possible because before you'd only ever hear these stories about people in Auckland that would win and to have people that they know, it brought it all home for everyone."

Meanwhile, Celeste Thomas, of Wheels Roadhouse on State Highway 3, said although not many customers had brought up the topic this morning, all the staff were abuzz as to who it might be.

"Not many people have come into the shop yet it was just some of the staff that were this morning .... but our boss isn't at work today, maybe it's her," she laughed.

Sam Young of Young's Takeaways said he bought a ticket but was yet to check it.

He hadn't had many customers by the time the Herald rang so he was unsure how many people were talking about it.

A $1m win in the town in August left an eight-strong work syndicate buzzing after buying their lucky ticket at Te Kuiti's New World.