Lotto: Do you keep all $42m?

Youth services, cancer, animals, mental health and heart disease: these are some of the causes Marlburians would support if they hit jackpot on tonight’s Lotto.

After Saturday’s winning numbers were not struck, the Lotto Powerball has skyrocketted to $42 million, which could be the second largest Powerball prize in the history of the game.

Blenheim residents are in agreement that, with a prize that big, some should go to charity.

Although she said she would buy a Lotto ticket this time around, Blenheim woman Shannelle Ward said taking a whole $42m for herself would be ‘‘greedy’’.

‘‘I’d pay off my house, support my family, and then [give] a massive chunk ... probably to the SPCA, and then breast cancer,’’ she said.

Purchasing a Lotto ticket yesterday morning, Richard Bowling said he would give ‘‘a big hunk’’ of a $42 million win to charity, mostly to local and smaller groups, he said.

‘‘With 42, you’d have to give half of it away – probably [to] a mix of things,’’ he said.

‘‘I don’t need $20 million for the rest of my life, and nor does my family.’’

For Garry Stewart, it would be the Red Cross, the Heart Foundation or Hospice.

Tracey Merrett was in agreement, and said she would put some money towards suicide and cancer prevention.

‘‘And animals probably – they get a pretty rough deal in this country sometimes,’’ she said.

‘‘Maybe a million, if you’ve got 42 of them. Considering all of your family will want a million.’’

Donna Brooke-taylor was about to check her numbers from Saturday, and would grab a new Lotto ticket while she was there.

She would donate money to the youth – ‘‘anything to do with the young ones’’ – but said it was also important to support family.

For Irene Percy, the question was not a hypothetical: she and

‘‘With 42, you’d have to give half of it away – probably [to] a mix of things.’’ Richard Bowling

her husband Graeme won the Heart Foundation lottery in 2016 and the Second division lotto the following year.

Both times they donated money to the Heart Foundation, and various other causes, including supporting the children they had fostered over the years.

‘‘I think it’s important if you give, you receive,’’ Percy said.

‘‘It’s important for yourself as well as the community, and if you look after them they’ll look after you.’’

In spite of their lottery wins, the Percys continued to buy tickets each week ‘‘just random, no numbers’’ to support the Heart Foundation and the causes that Lotto NZ sponsored.

They had also lobbied to have tickets for the Heart Foundation lottery available to purchase online.

With $42 million, Janelle

White would give some to family, to charity and build an aquarium with the remainder. With 100 per cent of Lotto NZ’S profits going towards Kiwi causes, she considered buying a lotto ticket to be a ‘‘charitable donation’’.

Lotto NZ head of communications and corporate social responsibility Marie Winfield said Lotto NZ’S profits went towards 3000 different causes, including Heart Kids, mobility dogs, Sport NZ and Film NZ.

The Powerball had jack-potted 16 times since the beginning of the year, and if the prize was claimed by a single winner on Wednesday, it would be the game’s second largest win since Lotto began in 2001.

Winfield said it was the first time in four years the Powerball had been over $40 million, since an Auckland couple won $44 million in 2016.

SCOTT HAMMOND/STUFF Inset, from top: Suicide and cancer prevention, as well as animals, are causes at the top of Tracey Merrett’s list. Donna Brooke-taylor would put money towards young people. Janelle White says buying a Lotto ticket can be considered a charitable donation.