Man fears ‘any second we’re going to wake up’ after $20m Lotto win

A young couple from Auckland have claimed a $20.1 million share of the Powerball jackpot over the weekend, giving a man time to think how he can achieve his “life-long dream”.

On Saturday, Lotto NZ’s Powerball jackpot hit $40 million, the highest since November last year.

The man, who wanted to remain anonymous, said he only buys a ticket when the jackpot is above $30 million. As the couple was going to bed after the draw, he logged into the MyLotto app to check his ticket.

“A screen came up saying I was a winner, so I clicked into the ticket expecting it to be a small prize.”

As the man scrolled down the ticket, he completely missed the eight-figure prize amount located at the top, instead focusing on the line which was lit up.

‘We scrolled to the top… and saw the amount’

“I looked up at my partner and said, ‘I think I’ve won’, then scrolled up to the top of the ticket where we both saw the amount.”

The man said he then jumped out of bed and began pacing the bedroom with his hand to his head.

It was this moment where he realised the $40m prize had been split between two people, and he was one of them.

Lotto NZ said the pair are still in shock, and said the win feels like a dream.

“It feels like an alarm clock is going to go off any second and we’re going to wake up from this dream,” said the man’s partner.

While the couple haven’t had much time to celebrate yet, Lotto NZ said they’ll do something special in the coming days. They also don’t know exactly yet what they will do with the money, but have discussed a few early priorities.

“Paying off the mortgage is going to be number one,” the man said. “And there’s a car I’ve had my eye on for a while.”

“Other than that, we’re going to take things slow and get some good advice before making any decisions.”

“I’ve had a lifelong dream of helping animals, and this now gives me the opportunity to do that. I don’t know what that looks like right now, but it’s one of my goals for the future.”

The other $20m still unclaimed

Lotto NZ said the second winner has not yet claimed their prize, but added the unclaimed ticket was sold from Blockhouse Bay Postshop & Stationers in Auckland.

“We’re urging anyone who bought their ticket from Blockhouse Bay Postshop & Stationers in Auckland to check their ticket and get in touch with us if they are the big winner,” said Lotto NZ head of communications Will Hine.

“This is a huge win. Someone is in for the shock of their life when they check their ticket.”

Winners can claim their prize in-store or get in touch with Lotto NZ on 0800 695 9886.