Lotto: Ōpōtiki strikes it lucky again as player scoops $500k First Division share
A small Bay of Plenty town has struck it lucky for the second time in a month, with a Lotto player once again taking home a transformational prize.
While Saturday night’s $8 million Lotto Powerball draw failed to land a winner, two people will get to share a slice of Division One’s $1m.
The winning $500,000 tickets were purchased from New World Rototuna, Hamilton and through MyLotto by an Ōpōtiki player.
Less than a month ago, a couple from the same small town hit the jackpot when they won the life-altering $12.5m Powerball in the August 30 draw.
At the time, the couple – who did not want to be named – said they were coming to terms with landing the rich prize and “still can’t wrap our heads around it”.
“We were about to go to sleep, but I suddenly had this feeling that I just had to check it,” the man said.
He checked the MyLotto app and, when he saw the numbers, he got “straight up in bed and shouted ‘You’ve got to be kidding me!’
“It felt we were in a dream – like maybe we had actually fallen asleep and none of it was real. We just kept saying to each other ... ‘Are we going to wake up now?’”
A planned mass upgrade to Lotto New Zealand’s systems kicks in from Monday, September 29.
“This once-in-a-generation project will enable future innovations and improved customer experiences,” Lotto NZ head of corporate communications Will Hine said before last week’s draw.
“To support a smooth transition, we’re ‘clearing the decks’ to reduce system load ahead of the upgrade.”
A large jackpot puts increased data demand and increased strain on Lotto NZ’s systems and staff at a critical time in their project, Hine said.
Saturday night’s draw proceeded as normal.
2025 Powerball wins
January 8: $7m, MyLotto, Wellington
January 22: $8.3m, MyLotto, Taranaki
February 8: $10.5m, Glenview Centre Lotto & Post, Hamilton
February 26: $10.5m, Paper Plus Waihī & Toyworld, Waihī
March 15: $5.5m, New World St Martins, Christchurch
March 15: $5.5m, New World Gardens, Dunedin
March 22: $5.3m, Windsor On the Spot Express, Port Chalmers
April 23: $23.3m, MyLotto, Auckland
May 21: $17.2m, New World Whitby, Porirua
June 21: $15.08m, Plaza Supervalue, Invercargill
June 21: $15.08m, MyLotto, Wellington
July 9: $10.3m, MyLotto, Christchurch
August 9: $20.25m, MyLotto, Christchurch
August 30: $12.5m, MyLotto, Ōpōtiki
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