Media release

Buying a ticket from the luckiest Lotto store in New Zealand has meant a Wellington resident's lucky brother got a larger birthday present than he was expecting when his sister won $262,923 in Lotto, says NZ Lotteries' Chief Executive, Todd McLeay.

"It was his birthday on the day of the draw," says the winner, "so I told him he was getting a $10,000 birthday present!"

The 20 year-old woman, originally from Hastings, was up visiting her family in the Hawkes Bay and bought the ticket from Radius Care Peter Dunkleys in Hastings, the luckiest store in New Zealand. The store has sold 30 Lotto First Division winning tickets, the most of any store in New Zealand.

"My Mum always buys her tickets from there, and I decided to buy one because it was the 20th anniversary draw," she says.

Although she has bought tickets on and off, her winning ticket was the first ticket she had bought this year.

The woman, who is in her final year of studies in Wellington, did not know she had won until she checked her ticket at the local supermarket. She got quite a shock.

"The lady showed me the printout, but I couldn't believe it. I got the shakes and couldn't even go out to my car to get my cellphone. I sit down and use the phone in the store to ring my dad and get him to get my mum to come down."

Five Lotto tickets won Lotto First Division on the Lotto's Birthday draw night, winning $262,923 each. Another of these winning tickets also won Powerball First Division, winning an additional $8.1 million.

She says she has not bought anything for herself yet, but has given money to her parents and brother. Her first purchase was a World Cup jersey for her rugby-mad brother.

She plans to complete her studies and invest the money for a while to think about what she wants to do.

"As my mum says, this win is going to make me very comfortable."

ENDS

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