The suburb was abuzz with excitement after Lotto revealed the winning ticket sold at South Dunedin Night ’n Day more than a month ago had not been claimed.
Store owner Murray Devereux speculated the $1 million winner was likely a local because the overwhelming majority of his customers lived in the area.
But Lotto burst that bubble today by revealing the winners were a North Island couple who bought the ticket during a trip down south.
“We’ve been quite busy the past month and didn’t get a chance to check the ticket,” the man said.
“We were on our way to the supermarket to buy some snacks, and I found the ticket in my glovebox, so I asked my wife to check it on the MyLotto App, and she said it was a Major Prize Winner!” the man said.
“I told her and my niece to go check it in-store and pick up some chips and drinks while they were there. They both came running out of the store with tears streaming down. I thought, ‘What’s happened?’
“They said we’d won one million dollars – I thought it was a joke!”
The man said he “tried to keep calm” as he followed his family in-store to fill out the prize claim form, though his family struggled to keep their emotions in check.
“My niece was still crying, and I told the store manager to kick them out,” he joked.
The couple were now planning for the future.
“This is massive for us. We never win anything! This will really help and be a big relief for us,” the man said.
“We haven’t had a chance to celebrate yet, but we’ll do something nice with the family.”
