“Are You Joking?,” Says $1 Million Winner

Media Release
28 December 2005
For Immediate Release

“Are You Joking?,” Says $1 Million Winner of Top Prize in Lotto Christmas Promotion

An Auckland man reacted with disbelief when an after-Christmas ticket checking errand revealed he’d won a $1 million house and land package, the top prize in Lotto’s biggest ever Christmas promotion, Chief Executive Trevor Hall said today.

“Apparently he had absolutely no idea that he’d won the top prize of the 55 on offer in our Christmas promotion.

“When he went into the store to get a whole bunch of tickets checked and the lottery retailer realised he’d won the top prize – a house and land package worth $1 million -he took him aside and told him the good news,” says Mr Hall.

He says the man’s immediate reaction was to ask the retailer 'are you joking?', and he appeared shocked at the post-Christmas windfall.

“Imagine that, you are doing a routine check of your tickets hoping, of course, that you’ve won something, and suddenly you are a millionaire.”

James Hollingsworth, the Lotto Manager at Inkworks in St Lukes Mall, Auckland, where the ticket was claimed, said the winner did not give any indication of how he might use the prize.

“He really was a bit shocked. He was still waiting for it to sink in,” said Mr Hollingsworth.

The other two major prizes in the promotion, Ford Escapes and Haines Hunter Boats, won by tickets sold in Rotorua and Christchurch, have both been claimed.

The South Island winner, who bought the ticket while in holiday with family in Christchurch was also unaware of his win before he got his ticket checked after a stroll down to the local dairy.

The man said he was 'delighted' with the win which came as a huge surprise.

Mr Hall urged Lotto players who had vouchers for the Christmas Promotion to get them checked.

There were 55 prizes on offer with this promotion, and although many have been claimed, there are still some that haven’t, so players should get their vouchers checked at their nearest Lotto outlet.

ENDS

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