PLAYING LOTTO ONLINE NETS COUPLE $15.7 MILLION

A Hokitika couple are New Zealand’s latest multimillionaires after winning Lotto Powerball First Division on the weekend with a ticket bought online at MyLotto.co.nz. The couple actually had a strange premonition that they might win. “I actually had a dream about three weeks ago that we won. And now that we have won – I still feel like I’m dreaming!” said one of the lucky winners, who wishes to remain to remain anonymous. The couple usually buy their tickets at MyLotto.co.nz, and were delighted to check their tickets online that night and find out they were winners. “The online draw experience was amazing. The computer automatically checked our ticket for us and we were able to watch number after number being circled.” Purchasing lottery tickets online has proven to be lucky for over four million customers, who have won over $ 82 million in prizes since MyLotto was established. The $15.7 million Powerball First Division ticket is the biggest online prize won to date – but MyLotto players have previously won two Big Wednesday First Division prizes worth over $7 million, over 30 Lotto First Division prizes, and 14 tickets have won the chance to spin the Winning Wheel. There are currently over 245,000 registered customers on MyLotto.co.nz, which also has a site optimised for mobile access. The newest multi-millionaires officially collected their windfall during the week and, thanks to their playing strategy, they took home the whole pot. Every week, the couple play the same six numbers across 10 lines with each of the Powerball numbers. “Once we’d decided on our numbers, we didn’t want to take the risk of missing out on the big prize if our numbers ever came up. “We’ve only missed playing our numbers for two draws in the last three years – and we watched those live draws with our hearts in our mouth! Luckily when our numbers came out, we were prepared.” The winners have been thinking about how they will spend their newfound fortune. “We feel very blessed – this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to have a positive impact on people’s lives. We want to help our immediate family and in the long-term, we’d like to establish a trust to support members of the community that need a little assistance to improve their quality of life.