Twizel abuzz after $17.1m Lotto jackpot win: 'It's such a big thing for a small town'

The small town of Twizel is abuzz this morning after somebody purchased a Lotto ticket there worth $17.1 million.

The winning ticket was sold at The Market Store in Twizel and is made up of $17m from Powerball First Division and $166,667 from Lotto First Division.

A text message from a friend alerted the store's owner Monica Andrew that her little town had struck gold.

Further text messages and an email from Lotto confirmed it was in fact her store that had sold the winning ticket.

"I was very excited obviously, just for Twizel in general," she said.

"It's such a big thing for a small town."

Andrew said at this time of year with so many holidaymakers passing through there was always a "good vibe" in the town - and "it's just something to add to it".

Customers had been coming in this morning to check their tickets with a bit of apprehension, she said.

"I just wish the person or people that won it best of luck."

Over the past decade, 374 Kiwis have become millionaires after winning the jackpot, and collectively Lotto players have won almost $4 billion.

The biggest win came in 2016 when a young couple from the Hibiscus Coast, who had been "busting their guts" to buy their first home, stopped by a dairy to get their regular ticket.

But that weekend, they won the biggest ever Lotto prize - $44m.