The excitement surrounding last Saturday night’s Lotto Powerball draw continues as a third winner comes forward to claim their share of the massive $50 million jackpot. Each of the seven winning tickets holds a prize of approximately $7.1 million, transforming more everyday individuals into newly-minted multi-millionaires.
Winners Emerge from Across the Country
According to Lotto NZ’s corporate communications manager, Sarah McCormack, the third winner is from Auckland and purchased their ticket through MyLotto. “We’re still waiting to hear from our four remaining winners,” McCormack stated, highlighting the continuing anticipation around the remaining ticket holders.
Two additional winners came forward on Sunday, having purchased their lucky tickets at Shop Rite Dairy in Hamilton and New World Hastings. Lotto NZ has urged anyone who bought a ticket during the record-breaking draw, especially those in Auckland, to check their tickets promptly.
Stellar Winning Locations
The winning tickets were bought at various locations, including Pak’nSave Wairau Rd, Woolworths Metro, and Royal Oak Mall in Auckland, as well as at Shop Rite Dairy in Hamilton and New World Hastings. Notably, two players from Auckland purchased their tickets online via MyLotto.
Each winning ticket matched five Lotto numbers plus the bonus ball and the Powerball. The winning numbers for this extraordinary draw were 22, 35, 10, 30, 21, and 37, with the bonus ball being 5 and the Powerball 2.
Additional Prizes and Celebrations
In addition to the seven main winners, another Auckland player who bought their ticket at Jalaram Dairy scored a remarkable $600,000 after winning Strike Four. Following the draw, 14 players across the nation claimed a share of $71,429, boasting tickets bought from locations scattered throughout the country, including Wellington, Hamilton, and Dunedin.
Jason Delamore, the chief executive of Lotto NZ, expressed his delight at the outcome, stating, “It’s fantastic to see more of our lucky players get to experience what it’s like to win. This is going to be life-changing, and not only for the lucky winners themselves, as we know winning big has a huge ripple effect.”
High Demand and Anticipation
The immense excitement surrounding the Powerball draw led to unprecedented demand, with estimates suggesting two million tickets sold across New Zealand. Long queues extended out of Lotto stores and into shopping malls nationwide as eager players tried their luck on the year’s biggest jackpot draw.
In light of the high volume of traffic, the MyLotto website temporarily shut down, leaving many players scrambling to check results after the must-win $50 million draw. Lotto NZ encouraged players to take screenshots of their digital tickets to avoid losing track of their tickets or the winning numbers.
The Lotto community is buzzing with anticipation and excitement as more winners are expected to come forward in the days ahead. Stay tuned for updates as the story continues to unfold!