Have you made $ 5.5 million? Check your lottery ticket

A billionaire could be celebrating his long weekend without knowing that he has made $ 5.5 million.

More than a week after the Lotto Powerball drawing, the lucky winner has yet to get his big win.

Lotto NZ has urged anyone who has purchased a Powerball ticket at Paper Plus Morrinsville for last Saturday’s drawing to check their ticket and see if they are a winner.

The $ 5.5 million prize pool is comprised of $ 5 million from Powerball First Division and $ 500,000 from Lotto First Division.

Lotto NZ’s Marie Winfield says most Powerball winners claim their prize within days of winning big, but some take their time and sit with the life-changing news for a few days.

“The winner may know they have the winning ticket out of luck and could be letting the news leak, or they may not realize that their little yellow ticket is worth millions,” he said.

“We can’t wait to meet you and celebrate your incredible victory.”

In December 2019, a $ 17.1 million prize pool went unclaimed for more than three weeks as the South Island winner quietly accepted the enormity of his win, and stayed low for a time before submitting to Lotto NZ. .

And in August 2019, a $ 12.2 million winner only found out that they had taken the prize when Lotto NZ contacted them via MyLotto where they had purchased the ticket.

One winner got the surprise of this lifetime when Lotto NZ showed up at his Christchurch home to tell him he had won $ 22 million.

He had thought the prize had already been claimed.

Winfield said there have already been 25 Powerball winners so far this year.

“It’s an absolutely staggering amount,” he said.

Anyone who has purchased their ticket at Paper Plus Morrinsville in Morrinsville should write their name on the back of the ticket and immediately verify it at any Lotto point of sale, online at MyLotto.co.nz or via the Lotto NZ app, Winfield said .

Players can call Lotto on 0800 695 6886 to find out how to claim a prize.