Four Square Western Heights sold the winning Powerball ticket.
What would you do with $8.5 million?
It's a prospect we dream about when we buy a Lotto ticket and for one Rotorua Lotto player, that dream has become a reality after winning $8.5 million in last night's Powerball draw.
The prize is made up of $8m from Powerball FirstDivision and $500,000 from Lotto First Division.
The winning ticket was sold at Western Heights Foodmarket, also known as Western Heights Four Square, on Brookland Rd.
Store owner Montu Kumar said he was excited when he found out about the win and hoped it was going to someone deserving.
"It's pretty exciting, it's been a long time that it came to our store and it feels good for the neighbourhood," he said.
"I totally hope it's a local, we have a lot of regulars who like to keep it local and go to their favourite store. This is a nice repayment for their loyalty."
He expected an increase in business following the win.
"A lot of people get excited and they want to go down to the lucky store. Hopefully, their luck comes in too, you never know, we might do it two weeks in a row.
"That would be amazing."
Four Square Western Heights owner Montu Kumar was thrilled to sell an $8.5 million winning Lotto ticket. Photo / David Beck
The store has sold four Lotto First Division winning tickets, a Strike First Division winner and a Bullseye First Division winner previously but never anything close to the $8.5 million in last night's draw.
"This is the big exciting one, you want to get the Powerball and it's a good number, $8.5 million. That's life-changing."
Last night's big score was the fourth Powerball win this year and comes two weeks after a player from Te Aroha won $4.5m.
A Lotto player who bought their ticket in Auckland will also be celebrating, after winning $500,000 with Lotto First Division.
The winning ticket was sold at Valley Road Superette.
Strike Four was won by two players from Napier and Invercargill who each took home $200,000.
The winning strike tickets were sold at Z Kennedy Rd in Napier and Windsor Stationery & Lotto in Invercargill.
