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A Canterbury family who are looking to buy their first home suddenly have more options than they ever dreamed of after claiming their $28.6 million Lotto prize.
The Ashburton family, who want to remain anonymous, took out the 11th largest win in Lotto NZ history in the Powerball draw last week.
The winning ticket was sold at Four Square Netherby in Ashburton. The family claimed the prize on Friday, and spent the weekend talking about what it will mean for them.
The mother said they had no idea they were the lucky winners until the following day.
“It was the talk of the town,” she said.
“Everyone was asking each other if they were the winner and talking about what they’d do if they won.
“I never thought it would be us … but I couldn’t shake this strange feeling for most of the day.”
The woman’s daughter said the family now has some big decisions to make, but one dream has already been locked in.
“There is so much to think about – we want to enjoy our lives and help others – but it all needs a lot of thought," the daughter said.
"The only thing we know for certain right now is that we will be able to buy our first home. It’s something we’ve always talked about – and now it’s possible.
“We’re still very much in shock and overwhelmed with the prize. We’re so incredibly grateful for what this is going to do for us, our family and future."
The family are regular Lotto players and used a mix of similar numbers across just five lines on a $7.50 Powerball pick your own ticket.
The numbers proved to be very lucky in last Wednesday's draw, winning them the Powerball First Division prize of $28 million, plus three Lotto First Division wins - worth $200,000 each - from three different lines.
After the draw, her daughter sent a message asking whether she had checked her ticket.
“She asked me if I knew someone in town had won, and if I’d checked our ticket. I said, ‘no, it’s at home, I’ll check it later'.
“We checked the numbers, and sure enough … they were ours.
“It was such a mix of emotions all at once – my husband cried and none of us knew what to do with ourselves.”
Lotto Powerball wins in 2026
| Date | Prize | Store | Location |
1 | 14 January | $10.2 million | MyLotto | Manawatū-Whanganui |
2 | 21 January | $5.3 million | MyLotto | Otago |
3 | 14 February | $5.08 million | Coastlands Lotto | Paraparaumu |
4 | 14 February | $5.08 million | MyLotto | Masterton |
5 | 14 February | $5.08 million | New World Greymouth | Greymouth |
6 | 18 February | $4.5 million | Glen Innes Dairy and Lotto Outlet | Auckland |
7 | 28 March | $12.75 million | MyLotto | Auckland |
8 | 28 March | $12.75 million | MyLotto | Auckland |
9 | 15 April | $14.3 million | MyLotto | New Plymouth |
10 | 22 April | $5.5 million | Whitcoulls Glenfield | Auckland |
11 | 3 June | $28.6 million | Four Square Netherby | Ashburton |
12 | 6 June | $4.5 million | Paper Power Thames | Thames |
-Allied Media