The family were the first of three lucky winners to claim their part of the $55 million 'Must Be Won' draw on Saturday night.
They called Lotto NZ’s customer support team within an hour of the live draw.
“I wanted to make sure what I was seeing was right, so I thought the best way was to call the people who drew the numbers,” said the winner.
He was quickly connected with Lotto NZ’s winners’ team who guided the family through the claims process.
The man, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he almost didn’t buy a ticket for Saturday’s big draw, but a routine trip to the supermarket was what prompted him.
“We were doing the usual grocery shop and as we were walking in, I saw the queue to buy tickets – that’s when I remembered the big draw.
“It’s been so long since I bought a ticket that I had to ask the operator which ticket I needed,” he said.
Later that night, when reading the news, the man came across an article that the winning numbers were in.
“When I realised I had six Lotto numbers, that’s when I thought I could be in with a chance, then I saw Powerball number six – and I was speechless.
“I told my wife and my mum and dad, and we stayed up talking into the night. None of us could sleep!”
With their winning ticket tucked safely inside a book on a shelf, the family headed out shopping the next day.
“All I could think about was the ticket at home and how maybe it wasn’t a good idea to leave it there.
“Let’s just say we didn’t stay out for long.”
The man plans to buy his first home, help family members with their mortgages, and do a little shopping in the upcoming sales – but says he’ll take time to figure out the best path forward.
“This win opens up a whole new world of opportunities for me and my family.
“It means my parents can finally retire - they have worked so hard to give us a good life – and that’s going to feel very special.
“It means I can give my children every opportunity to be the best they can be, with some of that everyday financial stress lifted."
The family haven’t celebrated their win yet but have already decided they are going to their favourite local restaurant for a quiet celebration in the coming days.
Auckland winner
The next lucky winner to discover they’d become an overnight multi-millionaire was an Auckland man who got an ‘incredible surprise’ after checking his MyLotto account early on Sunday morning.
The winner, who wishes to remain anonymous, says he only plays occasionally but had bought a few tickets in the lead up to the record-breaking $55 million jackpot.
“I play now and then, it’s easy to get busy and forget to buy a ticket. Honestly, it was just fortuitous timing that I remembered for this draw,” he said.
For his ticket, he chose a mix of his own numbers and a few random lines. “It was the random line that won,” he added.
The man was shocked when he opened the MyLotto app and saw the big number stamped across the top of his ticket.
A history of Lotto NZ Must Be Won winners:
| Date | Powerball jackpot | Number of Winners | Prize amount won |
1 | 2007 | $2.5 million | One winner | $3 million |
2 | 2008 | $30.5 million | Five winners | $6.1 million each |
3 | 2011 | $35.2 million | Two winners | $17.4 million each |
4 | 2014 | $33 million | One winner | $33.1 million |
5 | 2016 | $40 million | Three winners | $13.3 million each |
6 | 2016 | $44 million | One winner | $44.06 million |
7 | 2017 | $8 million | Four winners | $2.02 million each |
8 | 2020 Feb | $50 million | Two winners | $25.1 million each |
9 | 2020 Aug | $50 million | Ten winners | $5.02 million each |
10 | 2023 | $15 million | One winner | $15.5 million |
11 | 2024 Jun | $50 million | Seven winners | $7.18 million each |
12 | 2025 Sept | $10 million | One winner | $10.05 million |
