It’s unlucky for some, but 13 was the magic number for a Manawatu couple who scored themselves a life-changing $13.2 million with Powerball on Saturday.

The couple, who wish to remain anonymous, are regular Lotto players and were at home on Saturday when they remembered to grab their tickets on MyLotto, ahead of that night’s draw.

“There’s no real rhyme or reason to how I usually purchase my tickets even when we’re not in lockdown – if I’m at a supermarket and notice a Lotto kiosk, I’ll buy my ticket there… but if I forget, I use MyLotto,” said the man.

With their tickets purchased, the man and his partner carried on with their usual Saturday routine in their bubble and settled down to watch TV later that evening.

“My partner was online just after 9pm and read that Powerball had been won in the Manawatu-Whanganui region.

“It’s a pretty big place,” the man laughed. “We were sure it wouldn’t be us, but we checked our tickets together on the iPad anyway.”

“There was no prize on my partner’s ticket, but when we logged in to check mine, all of the numbers circled, followed by a big number at the top of the ticket.”

The man’s partner shrieked “Oh my god, $13,000 - that’s amazing!”

It took the man a few seconds, but he soon realised there were a few more numbers than there should be for a $13,000 prize.

“It’s $13 million, we’ve won $13 million,” he said calmly to his partner. “As soon as I said it, I was wondering if I had made a mistake – one of us had to be wrong!”

Staring at the numbers for a little longer, it finally dawned on the couple that they were now standing in their lounge, staring at the iPad, $13.2 million richer.

“It’s an incredible feeling – a million thoughts run through your head about the difference it’s going to make. Not just in our lives but for our family and friends too,” said the man.

“That’s what is going to make it special for us – the pleasure we will get from helping people. 

“Lots of people are going through a hard time at the moment, it’s stressful for people and for the organisations who are trying to help them. We’re very aware of that and we feel so fortunate that we’re now in a position to help. We’re not entirely sure what that looks like right now, but it is high on our list,” said the man.

“One thing’s for sure – we definitely have the time to think it through,” he laughed.

With the Alert Level 4 restrictions in place, the couple haven’t celebrated their win yet.

“We’re looking forward to celebrating with family when the Alert Levels allow,” said the man.

The winning ticket was sold on MyLotto for the Lotto draw on Saturday 18 April 2020.

Powerball First Division wins in 2020

During the COVID-19 Alert Level 4 lockdown, players can still buy tickets online at www.mylotto.co.nz. Lotto NZ counters in retail stores are closed until the lockdown has been lifted.

Our live draws can’t continue during the lockdown, so the Lotto, Powerball and Strike draw will be a computer generated draw, conducted under Audit New Zealand scrutiny.

To find out about the draws, claiming prizes and more, visit mylotto.co.nz/covid-19.

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