North Otago Family Scores Second Biggest Lotto Powerball Win of the Year

The second biggest Lotto Powerball win of the year was won by a North Otago family, who took home $ 18.25 million.

Their Christmas dreams came true on Boxing Day after the lottery drawing, as the family usually buys a triple ticket several times a month.

However, amid the holiday spirit, the family gave each other tickets to the mammoth raffle on December 23 and 26.

“Our minds are still spinning,” says the winner, who wishes to remain anonymous.

“We heard that the winning ticket had been purchased at the Waitaki New World in Oamaru, which is where we always buy our tickets, but we had to wait until we got home to check ours.

“I checked and couldn’t believe we had all the numbers. I must have checked it ten more times.”

It has been a record year for Lotto New Zealand, with more people crowned millionaires overnight in 2020 than any other year.

A total of 62 ticket holders have had their bank accounts flooded with cash, of which 28 of them have been Powerball victories.

The highest number of previous wins came in 2017 when 53 millionaires were made, and the third was in 2018 when 46 millionaires were made.

The North Otago family has returned to Waitaki New World to confirm their victory.

“It’s still sinking,” the man said. “We have so many thoughts running through our heads, it still doesn’t feel real.”

The woman says they told their children and they all started crying, “we couldn’t believe it,” she said.

They haven’t decided yet what they want to spend the money on, but they want to make a difference in the lives of those who really need it.

“We also want to help our children and the family in general, and at some point we will probably give ourselves a new car,” said the man.